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PRACTICAL SERMONS: 



TO BE 



READ IN FAMILIES 



AND 



SOCIAL MEETINGS 



BY ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER, D.D., 

PROFESSOR IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, PRINCETON, N. J. 



THE LIBRARY 
OF CONGRESS 

WASHINGTON 



PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

NO. 265 CHESTNUT STREET. 






^ 



Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1850, by 

A. W. Mitchell, M. D., 

In the Office of the Clerk of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 



Stereotyped by Wm. S. Slote, No. 19 St. James Street, 
Philadelphia. 



(2) 



CONTENTS 



Sermon I. — Obedience to Christ gives Assurance of the Truth 

of his Doctrines. John vii. 17. 7 

Sermon II. — The Knowledge of Sin by the Law. Rom. hi. 20. 25 
Sermon III. — The First and Greatest Commandment. Mark 

xii. 29, 30. 44 

Sermon IV. — The Second like unto the First. Mark xii. 31. 54 

Sermon V. — The Name Jesus. Matt. i. 21. ... 68 

Sermon VI. — The Incarnation. Luke ii. 13, 14. - - 76 
Sermon VII. — Christ's Gift of Himself for our Redemption. 

Titus ii. 14. 91 

Sermon VIII.— The New Creation. Gal. vi. 15. - - 106 
Sermon IX. — Repentance and Forgiveness the Gift of our 

exalted Saviour. Acts v. 31. 126 

Sermon X. — Receiving Christ by Faith. John i. 12. - 140 

Sermon XL — Privileges of the Sons of God. John i. 12, 13. 151 

Sermon XII. — Deceitfulness of the Heart. Jer. xvii. 9. - 161 

Sermon XIII. — Wickedness of the Heart. Jer. xvii. 9. - 171 
Sermon XIV. — Christ our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctifica- 

tion, and Redemption. 1 Cor. i. 30. - - - - 195 

Sermon XV.— The one Thing needful. Luke x. 42. - 208 

Sermon XVI.— The Love of Christ. Ephes. v. 2. - - 220 

Sermon XVII.— Love to Christ. John xxi. 17. -' - 229 

3 



4 CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Sermon XVIII. — Keeping alive the Love of God. Jude 21. - 246 
Sermon XIX. — Strength Renewed by Waiting on the Lord. 

Isa. xl. 31. 268 

Sermon XX. — The true Israelite. John i. 47. - - 275 

Sermon XXI. — God to be glorified by those bought with a 

Price. 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. 291 

Sermon XXII. — The Way in which God leads his People. 

Isa. xlii. 16. - - - 308 

Sermon XXIII. — Not slothful, but Followers of the Saints by 

Faith. Heb. vi. 12. - - - - - - - 333 

Sermon XXIV. — Christ the Believer's Refuge and Consolation. 

Heb. vi. 18. - - 355 

Sermon XXV. — Returning to our first Love. Rev. ii. 4, 5. 372 
Sermon XXVI. — The Blessedness of trusting in God. Psa. 

ii. 13. 391 

Sermon XXVII. — Faith's Victory over the World. 1 John v. 4. 407 
Sermon XXVIIL— The Benefits of Affliction. Psa. cxix. 71. 424 
Sermon XXIX. — Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ. Phil. 

iii. 8. 437 

Sermon XXX.— Holding forth the Word of Life. Phil. ii. 16. 447 
Sermon XXXI. — The house of God desirable. Psa. lxxxiv. 1,2. 458 
Sermon XXXII. — The Misery of impenitent Sinners. Acts 

viii. 23. 480 

Sermon XXXIIL— Spiritual Worship. Phil. iii. 3. - - 496 
Sermon XXXIV. — The Difficulty of knowing our Faults. 

Psa. xix. 12. 514 

Sermon XXXV.— God's Grace sufficient. 2 Cor. xii. 9. - 533 
Sermon XXXVI.— The dying Martyr's Prayer. Acts vii. 59. 543 
Sermon XXXVII.— Christ's gracious Invitation. Matt. xi. 28. 558 



PREFACE. 



Several years have elapsed since the author promised to a few 
friends, that, if life and health should be continued, he would endea- 
vour to prepare a volume of sermons on practical subjects, to be 
circulated by the Presbyterian Board of Publication. Incessant 
occupation in professional duties, occasioned the postponement of 
the fulfilment of this promise from time to time ; until recently, when 
he was informed that the Board of Publication were desirous to put 
such a volume into circulation ; especially for the benefit of families 
who were deprived of the opportunity of attending on the preaching 
of the gospel. 

At first it occurred to him, that for the purposes of the Board, 
such a volume had better be composed of a collection of sermons 
contributed by different ministers of our church. But upon reflec- 
tion, he was persuaded that it would be found difficult to get the 
proper persons to furnish discourses on the topics which might be 
prescribed. And he has observed, that when the sermons of several 
persons are included in the same volume, there is a disposition in 
many readers to make invidious comparisons between the authors ; 
and while some discourses are highly valued, others are neglected. 
Upon the whole, it seems best that every author should make his 
own book ; and to obtain a desirable variety, more volumes of 
sermons than one should be put into circulation. 

The author being aware that books of sermons are not in as much 
demand as publications of another kind, would not have consented 
that the Board of Publication should run the risk of an edition of 
this volume ; but this objection was obviated by the generous pro- 
posal of the friends referred to above, to bear the whole expense of 
stereotyping the work. 

5 



b PREFACE. 

In considering what subjects ought to be treated in such a volume, 
it struck the writer forcibly, that besides the usual evangelical topics, 
the duties arising out of the several domestic relations should have a 
place in a work intended especially for the use of families. And in 
pursuance of this idea, he commenced the preparation of sermons on 
the duties of husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and 
servants ; but he had not proceeded far, until he found that to do 
justice to this subject would require a volume by itself; and such a 
volume he is of opinion is a real desideratum in our church. If 
the author were not so far advanced in years, as to render the 
undertaking new works presumptuous, he might make an attempt to 
supply the want which exists. But he feels that he must shortly 
relinquish, not only his pen, but all earthly labours ; and, therefore, 
he leaves this work to be performed by some other person. 

As to the character of the sermons now presented to the public, 
the reader must judge for himself ; but the author would inform him 
that he must not look for any abstruse disquisitions, eloquent descrip- 
tions, or startling novelties in this volume. The sermons contain 
what the author believes to be evangelical truth, in the exhibition 
of which, his aim has been to render the gospel perspicuous to per- 
sons of common understanding. He has, therefore, adopted a style 
as plain and simple as he could. The sermons are short, and on 
an average, may be read in fifteen or twenty minutes. And as this 
is probably the author's last literary work, it is his earnest desire 
and prayer, that it may be useful in promoting evangelical and 
experimental religion when his head shall lie beneath the clods of 
the valley! He invites other Christians to unite with him in 
this prayer, for the success of the volume now given to the Chris- 
tian community. 

There is nothing in these sermons which will be found offen- 
sive to the lovers of evangelical truth in other denominations. The 
author, in a long life, has found that real Christians agree much 
more perfectly in experimental religion, than they do in speculative 
points ; and it is his belief, that a more intimate acquaintance among 
Christians of different denominations would have a happy tendency 
to unite them more closely in the bonds of brotherly love. May the 
time soon come when all the disciples of Christ shall form one great 
brotherhood under the name of Christians ! A. A. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS 



SERMON I. 

OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST GIVES ASSURANCE OF THE TRUTH OF HIS 
DOCTRINES. 

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it 
be of God. — John vii. 17. 

The truth of the Gospel is established by two kinds 
of evidence; external and internal. The former 
is historical, and depends on the testimony of men 
to the miracles which have been wrought in con- 
firmation of the Christian religion, and the fulfil- 
ment of prophecies, which furnish conclusive evi- 
dence of the truth of any doctrine. The nature of 
this kind of proof is very obvious. If God, by the 
exertion of his power, in a miraculous way, gives 
attestation to the declarations of any person, then 
we know that that person speaks the truth ; for 
God, we are sure, will not give his attestation to 
an impostor, or to that which is false. Persons, 
however, may be well acquainted with this species 
of evidence, and yet may not know any tittle of the 
truths contained in the Bible, or may entertain 
very erroneous ideas of the nature of the truths 
revealed. Thus, in fact, we find men wmo have 
examined the external evidences of Christianity, 
and have been by this means fully convinced of its 
truth, differing entirely in their views of the doc- 

7 



8 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

trines of revelation. In this, there is nothing un- 
accountable, as this kind of evidence does not 
bring before the mind the truths revealed, but is 
external to them ; and while two men are equally 
convinced that the Christian religion is from God, 
on account of the miracles performed, the record 
of which has come down to us, well attested ; and 
on account of the numerous prophecies which have 
been exactly fulfilled; they may nevertheless in- 
terpret the Bible on very different principles, and 
in consequence arrive at very different conclusions. 
Or, the one may attentively study the contents of 
the Bible ; while the other pays no serious atten- 
tion to the subject, and remains ignorant of the 
true system of doctrines taught in this book. 

But, in regard to the internal evidence of Chris- 
tianity, the case is different. The evidence here 
arises from a view of the truth itself; and can only 
be fully appreciated by a mind under divine illumi- 
nation. This evidence may indeed be rendered 
convincing to any rational mind not under the 
influence of strong prejudice, by an exhibition of 
the perfection of the theory of theology and moral- 
ity which the Bible contains. It can easily be 
shown, that this theory is far more perfect, than 
that of any of the heathen sages ; and yet the wri- 
ters were destitute of human learning, and unaided, 
were utterly incapable of producing such admirable 
works. By an argument of this kind, Soame Jenyns 
has demonstrated the truth of Christianity. This 
mode of reasoning can be appreciated by every 
rational mind; but there is another species of 
internal evidence, which is perceived and felt only 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 9 

by such as enjoy the illumination of the Holy Spi- 
rit. This arises from a view of the truth itself — 
from a discernment of its beauty and glory ; and 
also from a consciousness of its salutary effects on 
the heart. This is the kind of evidence on which 
saving faith is founded. It is a kind of evidence 
which can be appreciated by the weak and unlearn- 
ed, as readily as by the greatest scholars and phi- 
losophers. In regard to it, all stand upon a level ; 
or, rather, the simple and unlearned possess the 
advantage ; for the pride of reason and of human 
science stands very much in the way of the exer- 
cise of faith. In accordance with this, our Saviour 
sajs, "I thank thee, O Father! because thou hast 
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and 
hast revealed them unto babes." For it is an 
established rule in God's government, to resist the 
proud, and to cast contempt on the wisdom of this 
world. As saith the Scripture, ■" God hath chosen 
the foolish things of the world to confound the 
wise, and the weak things of the world to confound 
the things which are mighty." 

Many suppose, that plain unlettered Christians, 
who know little or nothing of history, and are there- 
for unable to appreciate the force of the external 
evidence in favour of Christianity, have no rational 
foundation for their faith ; but merely receive the 
Scriptures, because they have heard, from their 
parents and teachers, that they are the word 
of God. That many in Christendom have no 
better foundation for their faith than this, is readily 
admitted : but the real Christian, whose mind has 
been enlightened by the Spirit of God, believes 

2 



10 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the Scriptures to be trie word of God on the best 
and highest evidence, on the testimony of God 
himself; for when the truth is apprehended in its 
spiritual nature, by a divine light shining upon it, 
it manifests itself to be the word of God ; because 
it bears the impress of God on its face. A blind 
man may be fully convinced that the sun exists, 
because thousands testify to the fact ; and because, 
though he does not see this great luminary of day, 
he feels warmth from its rays; so, men blind to 
spiritual things may be fully and rationally con- 
vinced that Christ was a divine teacher, and tie 
Son of God, by many conclusive arguments. Eut 
as the blind man remains ignorant of the visible 
appearance of the sun, which is perceived by e^ery 
child who has eyes ; so unrenewed men — men 
destitute of spiritual life, however intellectual and 
learned, remain blind to the true nature of spi- 
ritual objects. The humblest, weakest believer, 
possesses a better knowledge of the true character 
of Christ than can be attained by -any exercise of 
reason. This is humbling to human pride, and 
men of the world are disposed to disbelieve the 
statement; but its truth is proved by the effects 
produced by the different kinds of knowledge. 
" By their fruits ye shall know them." Speculative 
or natural knowledge, not penetrating into the true 
excellence of the truths believed, but resting on 
the external evidences and systematic relations of 
the truth, exercises but a small influence on the 
heart and affections ; whereas spiritual, or saving 
knowledge, by which the beauty and glory of divine 
things are apprehended, has the immediate effect 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 11 

of exciting the affections and emotions, in a way 
corresponding with the nature of the objects per- 
ceived : so that under the influence of new and 
holy feelings, the purpose of the heart to honour, 
worship, and obey God, is formed, and this purpose 
becomes habitual ; and the clearer the soul's views 
of divine things, the firmer and stronger this pur- 
pose becomes. The person thus enlightened and 
affected, is renewed — converted — and all his pur- 
suits, his hopes and fears, his joys and sorrows, are 
different from what they were before. " Old things 
are done away, and all things become new." 

From what has been said, we may learn the true 
import of the text, " If any man will do his will, 
he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of 
God;" which maybe thus paraphrased. If any 
man possess that state of mind w T hich will prompt 
and lead him to choose the service of God, and 
determine to obey Him, he will be at no loss re- 
specting the truth of my doctrine ; for he will have 
such a view of the excellency of the truth which I 
deliver and will possess such a conviction of his own 
sinful and helpless condition, that he will, at once, 
be persuaded of the divine origin of the plan of 
redemption, from its perfect adaptation to his own 
urgent wants. And if he obtains such a view of 
the purity and perfection of the commandments of 
God as to delight in the law- of God, after the inner 
man, and to resolve to render universal obedience, 
he will entertain no doubt about the truth of my 
precepts ; which are nothing else than an exposi- 
tion and application of the law of God, and whoso- 
ever does the will of God from the heart, will ex- 



12 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

perierice a pleasure, so pure and-soul satisfying, 
that he will be sure it must proceed from the eter- 
nal fountain of felicity; according to that of the 
Psalmist, " In keeping thy commandments there is 
a great reward;" and according to the words of 
Christ, " my yoke is easy and my burden is light;" 
and of the apostle John, " his commandments are 
not grievous." 

Suppose a man to be brought to the fixed pur- 
pose, to obey the will of God, and to proceed daily 
in his service, delighted with the law in all its pre- 
cepts, such a person will experience great peace of 
mind, and the joy arising from the exercise of holy 
affections will have an internal evidence of the 
truth of religion, which no unregenerate man can 
possess, or well conceive of, for such affections and 
such obedience are contrary to the bent and incli- 
nation of his soul, and he can scarcely believe that 
there can be a real pleasure in those exercises 
for which he has no taste. He may, indeed, admit, 
that if there exists a strong relish for such pursuits, 
there may be pleasure ; but he is apt to be incredu- 
lous about the existence of an ardent love of the 
service of God. For the most part, he views religion 
to be a constraint, which men place on themselves, 
and that it is a yoke hard to be borne. 

A number of persons brought up in a dark cave, 
into which the rays of the sun never entered, if 
brought out, when this luminary was shining in its 
brightness, would need no arguments to prove its 
existence ; they would have the evidence in them- 
selves, in the shining of the light into their eyes, 
or, if placed where they could not see the sun, yet, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 13 

where there was a reflection of his rays, they would 
need no other evidence of its existence. 

Christians are described as persons brought from 
darkness to " marvelous light;" as being " light 
in the Lord." Now, if this divine and spiritual light 
has shined into their hearts, to give them the light 
of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face 
of Jesus Christ, will they be at any loss to know, 
whence this divine light proceeds? Can they 
ascribe these new views to any other source, than 
to the " Father of lights, from whom cometh down 
every good gift and every perfect gift?" When the 
mind is in a right state ; that is, when it is freed 
from the blindness of nature, and has the eyes of 
the understanding opened, the light of the glorious 
gospel will shine into such a regenerated mind, 
revealing to it the beauties of holiness, and causing 
it to rejoice in the glory of God. To such an one 
Christ appears lovely — the chief among ten thou- 
sands, and he becomes the jew^el of their hearts. 
Idols are at once cast away, and he as their right- 
ful King is enthroned in their affections. If be- 
lievers doubt of their own sincerity, yet they 
do not and cannot doubt of Christ's excellency and 
suitableness. His doctrines they humbly receive, 
and found their hopes of salvation on his faithful 
word alone. The doctrine of Christ is not merely 
what as a Prophet he taught; but it is also the 
doctrine which respects himself. Christ himself 
is the centre — the substance of Christian doctrine. 
His divinity — his incarnation — his holy life and 
miraculous works — his sufferings and humiliation 
— his crucifixion as an atonement for sin — his re- 



14 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

surrection, ascension, and glorification—these truths 
which relate to Christ's person and work, are 
known to be divine, by every one who is truly en- 
lightened by the Spirit of God. Every one who 
does the will of the Father in heaven is thus en- 
lightened, and receives, simply and cordially, the 
whole doctrine of Christ as far as he is instructed 
in the Holy Scriptures. He has received an unc- 
tion which teaches him all these things ; that is, a spi- 
ritual illumination ; so that without the authority of 
any man or any church, he knows by an internal evi- 
dence, that these doctrines which relate to Christ, are 
true ; and that they came from God. To know the 
truth, to embrace it cordially, to love it sincerely, and 
to be moulded into a conformity with it, is that which 
constitutes any one a true Christian. Error never 
can supply the place of truth. As well might you 
expect the body to be nourished by poisons as the 
soul by error. Truth is sometimes mixed with 
error, in doctrines taught to the people ; and if the 
errors are not fundamental, the truth which accom- 
panies them may prove nourishing ; but its efficacy 
will always be hindered or impaired by error, in 
proportion to its magnitude and prevalence in the 
system. In order to salvation, Christ's doctrine 
must be known and cordially embraced. All the 
children of God are taught by him. " Ye shall 
know the truth," says Christ, " and the truth shall 
make you free." Apostasy is nothing else but a 
denial of, and departure from, the truth, once pro- 
fessed. Those judicially abandoned of God, and 
given up to believe a lie that they might be damned, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 15 

are such as " received not the love of the truth, that 
they might be saved." 

Christ declares, " I am the way, the truth, and 
the life." All truth as well as life, dwells in him 
as in its fountain. And every obedient believer is 
made to know something of the excellence of the 
truth; so that he can say with Paul, "I count 
all things but loss, for the excellency of the know- 
ledge of Christ." 

Every true believer has the witness in himself. 
He needs no external evidence to convince him of 
the truth of the gospel. As he needs no proof that 
the sun exists and is the source of light when it 
b limes into his eyes; so when the light of the glo- 
rious gospel of Jesus Christ who is the image of 
God, shines into his heart, he knows that this spi- 
ritual light proceeds from the Sun of righteous- 
ness. 

Thus, every true Christian, however weak and 
unlearned, has a solid and rational foundation for 
his faith; and there is no other foundation on 
which a saving faith can rest. Many beheld the 
wonderful miracles wrought by Jesus Christ, who 
remained his enemies; and many now believe 
without a doubt, that these miracles were wrought, 
on the testimony of eye witnesses, and from the 
effects produced by Christianity on the state of the 
world; and they have no doubt, but that many 
prophecies are proved to be from God, because 
they have been exactly and literally fulfilled ; and 
yet these persons remain under the predominant 
influence of the love of the world. " No man," 



16 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

says John, " can say that Jesus is the Christ, but 
by the Holy Ghost. 

In all countries, and in all religions, the mass of 
the people have a traditional faith. They believe 
as they have been instructed, and seldom doubt of 
the truth of their religion, which, however, they 
receive implicitly, without any examination. The 
majority in Christendom receive the Christian reli- 
gion on no better evidence, for although it is at- 
tended with convincing evidences of its divine 
origin, with these they are not acquainted. But 
let us suppose a person to have grown to manhood, 
with no other than this traditional faith, and then 
to be brought under a deep conviction that he is a 
sinner, and that he can do nothing to remove the 
sentence of condemnation under which he lies, or 
to restore to purity and perfection his corrupt 
nature. To such a convicted sinner, the most 
important inquiry is, " What must I do to be 
saved?" He hears the gospel. He learns that by 
believing on Christ, the Son of God, he may obtain 
everlasting life. At first, the news seems to be too 
good to be true. He fears that there is some mis- 
take in the matter. But now the Spirit of God 
enlightens his mind to understand the gospel me- 
thod of salvation. He sees that the atonement ot 
Christ is sufficient to satisfy all the demands of law 
and justice. He sees that the door of reconciliation 
is set wide open, and that he is invited and entreat- 
ed to be reconciled unto God ; and that the great- 
ness and number of his sins are no barrier to the 
free exercise of mercy. And he not only sees and 
believes, that Christ is in all respects, a suitable 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 17 

Saviour, just such an one as he needs ; but he be- 
holds a divine glory shining in the face of Jesus 
Christ, by which he is so attracted, and his thoughts 
so occupied, that he forgets himself. He is absorb- 
ed in the contemplation of the wisdom, the love, 
the justice, and faithfulness of God, as these attri- 
butes shine in the work of redemption. Under these 
believing views, his affections are strongly moved. 
He feels springing up in his heart a love to God in 
Christ, such as he never felt to any other ; and his 
soul is ravished with a peculiar joy, which, as to 
kind or degree, cannot be described. At this mo- 
ment, he gives himself away to God. He has a 
fixed purpose formed in his heart, to honour and 
obey his Lord and Master, come what will. Has 
this person no rational evidence of the truth of the 
Christian religion? There may be a question, 
whether this evidence ousrtit to be denominated 
rational; for although it is such as does and ought 
to satisfy the rational mind, it is an evidence not 
owing to the deductions of reason, or any logical 
process, but it arises from the supreme excellence of 
divine truth revealed to the soul, by the illumina- 
tion of the Holy Spirit. This man knows now 
certainly, that the doctrine of the gospel is of God. 
This is the divine anointing, which if a man pos- 
sess, he needs no one to witness to him, that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God, and the Saviour of the 
lost; for the evidence is complete, and this faith 
which he exercises in Christ, as thus exhibited, is 
" the faith of God's elect." But all do not attain to 
those clear spiritual discoveries which have been de- 
scribed. Some have but dim views of divine truth, 

3 



18 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

and their faith is in proportion weak ; but in the use 
of appointed means it gains strength, and that which 
was feeble in the beginning, will grow up to matu- 
rity. Few of those who are favoured with bright 
spiritual discoveries of the glory of Christ, at first, 
continue to enjoy these clear views, long at a time. 
The blessed vision passes away. They fall back, 
if not into distressing darkness, yet into an obscure 
twilight. This is necessary, lest they should con- 
clude that these spiritual views were their own and 
depended on themselves ; and as spiritual pride is 
apt to rise and swell, in consequence of the delight- 
ful exercises of mind, which the soul enjoys, it is 
expedient that God should withdraw from the soul 
those views, in a measure, and leave it to feel its 
own weakness and un worthiness. When the soul 
is made to see something of the depth of its de- 
pravity, and to feel sin, on account of its turpitude, 
to be a burden, this very conviction furnishes a 
strong evidence of the divine authority of the word ; 
for it is by the law, as revealed in the Holy Scrip- 
tures, that this knowledge often is acquired. That 
sin does really partake of the evil which is seen in 
it, the enlightened soul can no more doubt, than it 
can of its own existence. But if this conviction be 
true and correct, then certainly, the word which 
has produced it, must be the word of God. No 
word of man could ever thus affect the conscience, 
and search out the secret faults of the heart. The 
effect of the truth on an awakened conscience is 
wonderful. It " divides between the soul and the 
spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and in- 
tents of the heart." When the faithful preaching 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 19 

of the gospel is heard by one, just beginning seri- 
ously to consider his ways, it often appears to him 
that the preacher has the power of searching the 
heart ; or that some one has communicated to him 
information respecting his character. All deep 
conviction of sin, therefore, furnishes a direct proof 
of the truth of the word. And when we consider 
how completely the feeling of guilt and condemnation 
is removed by faith in Christ, and what secret peace 
takes possession of the mind, we are sure that 
words which can produce such an effect, must be 
from God ; for where else do we find such effects 
produced ? Whatever others may think, the believer 
himself cannot doubt, that views which have so 
suddenly charmed away his grief, must be from 
God. There is no change in nature more remark- 
able, than that produced on the feelings of a con- 
victed and distressed sinner, by the simple exercise 
of faith in Christ. It is a change from overwhelm- 
ing sorrow, to joy unspeakable; from darkness to 
marvelous light — from condemnation to reconcilia- 
tion — from enmity to friendship ; in short, from 
death to life. The enlightened and renewed man 
has then, the very best evidence of the truth of 
Christ's doctrine, an evidence which no other can 
possess, until enlightened by the same Spirit. 
And now. suppose the person thus renewed by the 
grace of God, never to have heard or known any 
thing of the external evidences of Christianity ; even 
if he were to suppose that the gospel was of modern 
origin, yet he would cleave to it, as having un- 
doubted evidence of being the word of God. And 
when the children of God fall into darkness, and 



20 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

are sorely buffeted by Satan, and have skeptical 
thoughts injected into their minds, their deliverance 
does not come from reasoning, and reading books 
on the evidences of Christianity, but by the shining 
of the truth itself into the heart. One ray from the 
Sun of righteousness will scatter a darkness which 
has long been oppressive ; and one gracious promise 
applied, and sealed on the heart, will bring peace, 
when all other resources fail. 

Let those who are slow to believe these things, 
contemplate the patience, the courage, the joy and 
triumph of the martyrs of Jesus, in the early times 
of the gospel. Whence this superhuman contempt 
of torture and of death ? Whence the elevated joy, 
experienced by some in the midst of racks and 
names ? It was the sight of such effects as these, 
which multiplied converts to Christianity, at a time, 
when the very name was punished with a cruel death. 
And these effects of the gospel have not entirely 
ceased, even in our day. Even converts lately 
called out of a savage state, especially in the island of 
Madagascar, have manifested a Christian fortitude 
and cheerful resignation to cruel sufferings for the 
sake of Christ, which does not fall below the same 
traits in the early martyrs. And how often have 
those who have had much experience about the 
beds of dying saints, been filled with wonder and 
gratitude, at the power of the word of God, when 
accompanied by his Spirit, to support and console 
the departing spirit, even when the body was rack- 
ed with excruciating pain ! The evidence, arising 
from such scenes, is often not only convincing 
but overwhelming. Often have I wished, when 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 21 

witnessing such scenes, that infidels could be pre- 
sent to see the wonderful efficacy of the gospel, in 
giving peace and joy to persons in the agonies of 
death*. 

From what has been said, we may derive the 
following inferences. 

1. That unrenewed men, who are not taught of 
God, however they may by learning and the exer- 
cise of reason arrive at the conclusion that the Holy 
Scriptures are given by inspiration, and contain a 
true revelation of the will of God ; yet never can 
attain to a true, saving faith ; for " we are saved by 
grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is 
the gift of God." And we see the reason why a 
merely rational, or historical faith does not work 
by love, nor produce any radical change in the 
character ; because by it, however clear and strong, 
the excellence and beauty and glory of Christ and 
divine things are not revealed to the mind. The 

* The writer has now in his recollection, the case of an obscure 
young woman, whose habits of reserve and modesty were such, that 
very few persons knew any thing of her religious exercises, until she 
was laid on the bed of death. Though poor, and obscure, she was 
not ignorant nor uncultivated ; far from it. She had a mind of un- 
common intelligence, which, by reading, she had stored with know- 
ledge, especially religious knowledge. The Bible was her daily com- 
panion — the Bible was the source of all her comfort. And the doc- 
trines of Christianity she understood not only theoretically, but ex- 
perimentally. She had felt their power. She had daily proof of their 
efficacy to support the soul under peculiar trials. Though her pastor, 
the writer had known nothing of the elevation and fervency of her 
piety, until called to visit her in her last sickness, when, instead of 
giving instruction and comfort to the dying saint, he felt it to be one 
of the highest privileges he ever enjoyed, to witness the heavenly 
serenity of her countenance, and to hear the expressions of faith and 
hope which flowed from her lips. 



22 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

blind man may be as fully convinced of the exist- 
ence of the rainbow as any other person, and may 
assent to the fact that what are called colours are 
exhibited in this phenomenon ; but he is incapable 
of those emotions which are produced in the minds 
of those who can see, by this sublime and beautiful 
arch in the heavens. And in this case, we see, 
that there may be a certain conviction of a truth, 
when the evidence which produces it, does not pre- 
sent to the mind, the true nature of that truth. Just 
so it is, in regard to spiritual things; persons who 
are blind to their nature may, by conclusive argu- 
ments and testimony, be convinced of their reality. 
2. We learn also, that where there is a sincere 
love of truth, and a pious disposition to be con- 
formed to the will of God, both by believing what 
his word declares, and doing what it commands, 
there is a true faith, and hence it may be inferred 
that the person possessing such a state of mind, in 
regard to the truths of the Bible, has been enlight- 
ened by the Spirit of God. A ray from Christ, 
who is " the light of the world," has shined into his 
heart, to give him the knowledge of the glory of 
God in the face of Jesus Christ. True knowledge 
and pious affections are inseparably conjoined ; the 
one cannot exist without the other. The views of 
the understanding and the purposes of the heart, 
from the constitution of the mind, must be in coin- 
cidence. But the affections and volitions of the 
heart, are not in coincidence with the mere specu- 
lative convictions of the understanding, for reasons 
already given. Hence we see clearly the true 
ground of difference between a dead and a living 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 23 

faith ; it is owing entirely to the different kinds of 
evidence on which they are respectively founded. 
In the one case, the evidence though convincing, 
does not afford to the mind a view of the real na- 
ture of the truths believed, in the other, the evi- 
dence is the excellence and spiritual beauty of the 
objects of faith. In the one case the evidence is 
external to the truth ; in the other, it is the interna] 
shining of the truth into the mind. 

3. Finally, when faith is weak, the true method 
of strengthening it, is not to be found in logical rea- 
soiling, but in divine illumination. There are 
doubts, which may be removed by a careful and 
impartial investigation of the evidences of divine 
revelation; but this may be effected, without any 
real increase of true faith ; this can only be invigo- 
rated by the same efficient Agent, by whom it was 
first produced. All the most vigorous efforts of 
human reason, in the most gifted minds, can never 
produce one spiritual idea. This dependence of 
the soul on God for every step of progress in the 
divine life, is beautifully illustrated in the prophet 
Isaiah, " He giveth power to the faint, and to them 
that have no might he increaseth strength. Even 
the youths shall faint and be weary ; and the young 
men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon 
the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall 
mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and 
not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Let 
all then who wish to know whether the doctrines 
of Christ are true, pray for the illumination of the 
Holy Spirit ; let them get their minds into that 
state which is favourable for the clear discovery of 



24 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the truth, and they will find, that as the light of 
the sun needs no witnesses to testify of its exist- 
ence, when it shines into the eyes; so, when ob- 
structions are removed, and the intellect is prepared 
to receive spiritual ideas, the light of truth shining 
into the mind, carries its own evidence with it. 
The man thus enlightened, has no need that any 
one should testify to him of the truth ; for he per- 
ceives the light, and tastes the sweetness of the 
truth, as it is in Jesus. The more the believer 
grows in grace, the firmer and more efficacious will 
be his faith. And as the Spirit is given in answer 
to prayer, freely, we should unceasingly cry to God 
for this richest, this sum, of all spiritual blessings. 
The indwelling of the Spirit is the rich fountain of 
life, from which all holy acts and spiritual exercises 
and enjoyments proceed.* 

* In accordance with the sentiments and reasonings in the preced- 
ing discourse, are the facts in the case. Converts among the heathen, 
in whom the moral change is so remarkable, are not convinced of the 
truth of the gospel by being made acquainted with its external evi- 
dences, of which they are as yet incapable, but by its internal light and 
power by which their consciences are awakened, and the demerit of 
sin, and the efficacy of the promises of the gospel to relieve and com- 
pose their troubled minds, are felt. And, among men of strong and 
highly cultivated minds, more have been converted from infidelity, by 
reading the Scriptures, than by studying the external evidences. This 
is said to have been the fact in regard to those two eminent men, 
Saome Jenyns, and Gilbert West, who have written so ably in defence 
of Christianity. Striking examples of the same kind have been ob- 
served by the writer. 



SERMON II. 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN BY THE LAW. 

For by the law is the knowledge of sin. — Rom. iii. 20. 

The Jews, and particularly the Pharisees, prided 
themselves on the high privileges they enjoyed, as 
being the chosen people of God, sealed with his 
seal, the objects of a special providence, and the 
descendants of Abraham, the friend of God. They 
seem, therefore, to have entertained the flattering 
opinion, that they were in a safe state, and that 
the threatenings contained in the Scriptures did 
not relate to them, but to the heathen, and apostates. 
The apostle in this epistle, takes great pains to 
convince them of their error; and after having 
proved, by a reference to known facts, the despe- 
rate wickedness of the heathen, proceeds to show, 
by irrefragable arguments, that the Jew was really 
in no safer condition than the Gentile ; that both 
were naturally under condemnation ; that all had 
sinned, and come short of the glory of God. He 
insists upon it, that the curses denounced against 
sinners, in the written law, related rather to the 
Jews, than to the Gentiles; "for," says he, "what 
the law saith, it saith to them that are under the 

4 25 



26 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

law ; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the 
world may become guilty before God." The ne- 
cessary inference from this universality of sin and 
guilt is, that by the deeds of the law no flesh 
can be justified in the sight of God : for the evident 
reason, that "by the law is the knowledge of sin." 
That law which convinces of sin, must of necessity 
condemn, but cannot justify. A sentence of justi- 
fication is grounded on the fact, that the law has 
been perfectly obeyed, or has been fully satisfied. 
But if every man may be convicted of sin by the 
law, then, evidently, the impossibility of being jus- 
tified by the deeds of the law, that is, by our own 
obedience to the law, is manifest. 

Our object, in the following discourse, is to make 
some observations on the nature of the law — and to 
consider the import of the declaration, that " by the 
law is the knowledge of sin." 

Another apostle gives us a comprehensive defini- 
tion of sin, which coincides exactly with the import 
of our text. " Sin," says he, " is the transgression 
of the law" By transgression here, we should un- 
derstand every want of conformity to the law, for 
this is the true meaning of the original term here 
used. 

The definition, therefore, includes sins of omis- 
sion, as well as of commission. Sin has no exist- 
ence but in relation to the law ; for, as the apostle 
reasons, " where there is no law, there is no trans- 
gression." The law maybe compared to a straight 
rule. Sin is the deviation from this rule, and the 
enormity of the sin may be measured by the degree 
of obliquity in any act. Laws are of different 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 27 

kinds, according to the nature of the subject regu- 
lated. The universe is under law, for the Creator 
is a God of order ; and acts uniformly in the gov- 
ernment of his creatures, when they are placed in 
the same circumstances. But our inquiry, at pre- 
sent, relates to the law given to man, as an account- 
able moral agent. This law was originally written 
on the human heart, where vestiges of it are still dis- 
cernible. It has, therefore, been called, the law of 
nature. But as through the prevalence of igno- 
rance and error, this law has been greatly defaced 
in all men, and in the minds of some, almost ob- 
literated ; it pleased God to make a full revelation 
of it, comprehending all moral duty, under two 
great commandments, enjoining love to God and 
our neighbour; and to show how these general 
precepts were to be carried out in their application 
to practice, ten commandments were engraven by 
the ringer of God, on two tables of stone. These 
summarily comprehend the whole duty of man. 

But as the spiritual and perfect nature of the law 
was misapprehended by the Jews, and many of the 
precepts set aside by the false glosses of the Scribes 
and Pharisees, our blessed Lord, in his public dis- 
courses, gave the true interpretation of the law, 
and repudiated the erroneous opinions of moral 
duty, which had been long inculcated on the peo- 
ple, by their teachers. Many, in our day, also,- 
entertain very inadequate ideas of the nature and 
obligations of the law. By some it is believed and 
taught, that the strictness of the moral law is now 
relaxed, and that a milder and more indulgent rule 
of life, has succeeded to the law given to our first 



28 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

parents, while in a state of innocence. But no 
conclusion is more certain from both, reason and 
Scripture, than the indispensable, immutable na- 
ture of the law. As it arises from the nature of 
God, and the relation of man to him ; and is really, 
a transcript, as far as it goes, of the moral attributes 
of God, it never can be relaxed, nor undergo any 
change in its principles. As God is infinitely holy, 
he never can require less holiness in his creatures, 
than they are capable of. The idea of bringing 
down the law to adapt it to the ability of fallen 
man is absurd ; for on that principle, the more any 
man was under the dominion of sin, the less would 
the law require of him. This principle would go 
far to nullify the law altogether, and render it 
utterly impossible to ascertain precisely what it 
requires. It is a sound principle, that any inability 
arising from a depraved nature, has no tendency to 
alter the demands of the law. The law, therefore, 
ever remains the same, to the man in innocence — to 
the man under sin — to the man partially sanctified, 
and to the saint in heaven. It is the standard of 
human perfection, and its moral obligation can 
never cease. 

Antinomians hold, that in consequence of Christ's 
perfect obedience, the law has no demands on those 
in whose place he obeyed. They pretend, there- 
fore, that the moral law is not obligatory on Chris- 
tians, to whom the righteousness of Christ is im- 
puted. This is a gross abuse of a cardinal doctrine. 
And if the thing were true, it would be no privi- 
lege, but a real detriment to the believer ; for he 
finds that the keeping of the commandments of God, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 29 

even in tins world, is attended with a great re- 
ward. 

Others, again, entertain the opinion that the law 
was altered and improved by onr Lord ; and they 
refer to the sermon on the monnt. Bnt the alter- 
ation is not in the law itself, but in the interpreta- 
tion of the law ; the erroneous opinions respecting 
some things were set aside, in that discourse. But 
our Lord, when he lays down the precepts of the 
law, gives us precisely the great principles of duty 
which are found in the law of Moses. God is the 
same from everlasting to everlasting, and his law 
must be the same. 

The law of God is not an arbitrary rule, but, as 
was said, is founded on the nature of man, and the 
relation in which he stands to God, and his fellow 
creatures. Reason dictates, that a rational, choos- 
ing agent, should employ all his faculties, and direct 
all his actions, to the glory of his Creator; and as 
this end can in no other way be attained, than by 
obeying the will of God, therefore, the manifesta- 
tion of the divine will must be the law of all rational 
creatures. And as to the measure of obedience 
required, it is evident, that there can be no limit to 
its perfection, except that which necessarily arises 
from the limited nature of the faculties of creatures. 
The idea intended to be communicated is, that all 
the faculties and affections of every rational creature, 
are reasonably put into requisition, to glorify the 
Creator. It cannot be supposed, that any thing 
less than entire devotedness to the will of God 
should be required ; or when required, that there 



30 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

should not be a moral obligation on the creature to 
obey. 

That the law of God requires perfect obedience 
is self-evident ; for what is perfect obedience but 
that which the law demands? To suppose that 
any law could be satisfied by an imperfect obedi- 
ence, involves the absurdity, that the law requires 
something which it does not require. It may, per- 
haps, appear to a mind alienated from God, to be 
a hardship, to be under obligation to love and serve 
God continually, to the full extent of its powers. 
But if the mind were renewed, and the law and 
service of God were found to be the happiness and 
delight of the soul, then it would no longer appear 
to be a hardship to be required to love God with 
all the heart. No man will complain of that which 
is necessary to his highest felicity. But if some- 
thing less than the entire heart were required, we 
might ask, how much less ? And if not required to 
serve God, all our time, what proportion should be 
devoted to his service ? But, if it should be alleged, 
that uniform perfection of obedience ought not to 
be insisted on, since man is a fallible, erring crea- 
ture ; but that there ought to be some indulgence 
granted to the frailties of human nature, I would 
reply, that if any indulgence to sin be allowed, 
there can be no limit fixed to which it should be 
extended. Such a principle would destroy the 
obligation of the moral law. There ought to be no 
indulgence allowed to that which deforms the image 
of God in man, and which tends to destroy or lessen 
his own happiness. Again, these frailties belong 
not to our nature, as it came perfect from the hand 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 31 

of the Creator, but belong to our sinful nature, to 
which a holy law can show no indulgence. And, 
as before intimated, our happiness is intimately 
connected with universal obedience. No creature 
can render to God as much love and reverence as 
he deserves. If the capacity of any such being 
were enlarged a hundred, or a thousand fold, the 
obligation to exercise all his powers in loving and 
serving God, would be as complete as to serve him 
with the ability which he now possesses. 

Since then we are capable of paying so small a 
part of what we owe to our Creator, is it not most 
ungrateful, as well as unreasonable, to wish to de- 
tract from his service any part of what we are cap- 
able of rendering ? Would not this be the worst 
kind of robbery, even the robbery of God ? Such 
murmurings against the demands of the law, are 
after all, founded on some undefined notion, that 
there is some injustice in the case ; as if it would 
be a privilege and an increase of desirable liberty, 
if we were not under this obligation, to render per- 
fect obedience, at all times. Now, although this is 
the language of a depraved heart, yet it can easily 
be demonstrated, that the idea is not consonant to 
the truth ; and that the law of God is not only holy 
and just, but wise and good, and the very best and 
happiest rule under which the creature could be 
placed. 

The ground of difficulty is in our depraved na- 
ture, which has lost all relish for the service of God. 
The mind of man must be active, and no species of 
action is in itself so morally excellent, and accom- 
panied with so much pleasure, as the love and ser- 



32 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

vice of God. And to a soul rightly constituted, the 
most intense exercise of holy affection is so far from 
being felt as a burden or task, that it affords the 
sweetest pleasure of which we ever partake. If 
the heart were right, even as God made it, there 
would be no difficulty experienced in complying 
with the command to love the Lord our God, with 
all our heart, mind and strength. And the same 
may be said respecting the love of our neighbour. 
It is our sinful selfishness which renders this duty 
difficult, and causes some to think that the com- 
mand to love our neighbour as ourselves is not only 
unreasonable, but impossible. 

To be perfectly obedient to the commandments 
of God is to be completely happy. Surely, no one 
ought to complain of being required to pursue his 
own greatest happiness. The angels in heaven are 
happy, because they are holy, and always employed 
in holy exercises and duties. From what has been 
said, the truth of the apostle's declaration is evident, 
that " the law of God is holy, and the command- 
ment holy, just and good." 

The proposition contained in our text, that " by 
the law is the knowledge of sin," is so evident from 
the definition of sin, given by the apostle John, 
that there does not appear to be any necessity for 
further demonstration of its truth. All that will be 
requisite, in regard to this point, will be to make a 
practical use » and application of the evident truth. 

If our actions had always been conformable to 
the precepts of God, the closest application of the 
law would produce no conviction of sin. And that 
such perfection of obedience is possible to human 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 33 

nature is manifest, by the example of Christ, who 
possessed all the faculties and appetites which are 
the constituents of human nature ; and was in all 
points tempted as we are ; and yet " he knew no 
sin," though he knew the law perfectly. He could 
appeal to his bitterest enemies and say, " which of 
you convinceth me of sin ?" He continued from the 
beginning to the end of his life, " holy, harmless, 
undefiled and separate from sinners, and no guile 
was found in his mouth." From this perfect ex- 
ample it is manifest, that the law of God is perfect- 
ly adapted to human nature, and that it may be 
constantly obeyed by the faculties which we pos- 
sess, were it not for sin which dwelleth in us. 

If the moral law is the measure of our duty, then 
just so far as man has deviated from this perfect 
rule, just so far the law shows that he is a sinner. 
And, whereas the law demands a positive compli- 
ance with its requisitions, as well as prohibits the 
doing of certain acts, it follows, that there are sins 
of omission as well as sins of commission. And, 
indeed, as love is the main thing which the law re- 
quires, the defect of this holy affection is the evil 
fountain from which all other sins take their rise. 
Sins of commission could never be committed until 
there is some defect in the strength and constancy 
of this holy principle. Human nature may be 
compared to a complicated machine, which has 
within it, powerful springs which keep it in opera- 
tion. But such a machine requires a balance or 
regulator, which may preserve all the parts in their 
proper places, and give due energy and direction to 
every part. If the balance wheel, be taken away, 

5 



34 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the machine loses none of its power, but its action 
becomes irregular, and no longer subserves the 
purpose for which it was put in motion. It moves, 
it may be, more rapidly than before, but to its own 
ruin. So it is with man. He is an agent, pos- 
sessing active powers, and a variety of appetites, 
affections, and passions, which require to be regu- 
lated, and properly directed ; otherwise, their most 
powerful action will be of a ruinous character. 
Now if it be asked, what was made the regulating 
principle in man, to which all his powers should be 
subservient? Two things are necessary to give 
harmony and a right direction to the complex fac- 
ulties and affections of man. The first is, light ; 
the second, love. Or, to speak more correctly, an 
enlightened conscience, and uniform and constant 
love to God. But when sin was introduced, the 
mind was blinded, conscience misdirected, and the 
love of God in the soul was extinct. The man 
however, still remains a moral agent, and an ac- 
countable creature ; otherwise, he would be incapa- 
ble of sinning. 

Although the mind of man has fallen into an 
awful state of blindness, and disorder, yet con- 
science is not obliterated : as far as it has light, it 
still remonstrates against the commission of sin, and 
utters its voice of condemnation, when sin has been 
committed Happily, some actions are intui- 
tively seen to be morally wrong, and by no sophis- 
try can the soul be persuaded to approve them. 
But in regard to a large part of sinful acts, or omis- 
sions, most men remain ignorant of them, because 
they know not the extent and spirituality of the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 35 

law. This is remarkably the case m regard to the 
affections and purposes of the heart, in which sin 
has its origin, and its essence. And mere theo- 
retical knowledge of the law is not sufficient : many 
by means of a good religious education, possess 
this ; and yet feel no deep conviction of the depth 
and turpitude of the sin of their hearts. It requires 
the convincing light of the Holy Spirit to shine 
in upon the conscience, and to cause the mind to 
view itself, as it were in the mirror of God's holy 
law. This conviction by the law, is the common 
preparatory work, before mercy is bestowed. " The 
whole need not a physician, but they who are sick." 
It is unnecessary to perplex ourselves with doubts 
about our spiritual condition, because we may not 
have had, in our experience, as distinct a work 
of the law, as some others. If we are true 
Christians, we do now possess such a spiritual 
knowledge of the law, that we are daily convinced 
of our want of conformity to it, and do see and feel 
something of the odious nature of the sin which 
dwells within us. Now, this is the only kind of 
conviction, which is essential to true religion. 
The greatest degree of mere legal conviction is no 
evidence of a renewed mind. The devils and im- 
penitent sinners will all have this kind of convic- 
tion, at the day of judgment, and to all eternity. 
If, therefore, we have been led to see and feel the 
intrinsic evil of sin, we need not be troubled be- 
cause we cannot distinctly trace, in our experience, 
what is commonly called a law work ; for, though 
conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit, is essential to 
a true Christian, yet this is always included in true 



36 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

repentance; repentance, indeed, founded on just 
views of the turpitude of sin, as seen by the light 
of the Spirit, in the mirror of God's holy law. 
This conviction of sin increases in the mind of the 
true believer, in proportion to his growth in grace. 
The more eminent any man is in piety, the deeper 
will be his sense of the inward defilement of sin, 
and the greater his self-abhorrence on account of it, 
according to that of Job " I have heard of thee by 
the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee, 
wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and 
ashes." 

They who dream of a perfection in this life, 
which leads them to think, that they are free from 
all sin, evidently have not the same kind of religion 
as the patriarch Job, who is declared to have been 
" a perfect and upright man." Such are evidently 
ignorant of the purity and spirituality of the law 
of God ; or ignorant of the true state of their own 
hearts. Whoever obtains a spiritual view of the 
law, will possess by the law, a right knowledge of 
sin. There is no better evidence of an enlightened 
mind, and renewed heart, than just views and feel- 
ings in regard to our own sins ; and especially, the 
sins of the heart. It seems, at first view, wonder- 
ful, that any person should be so blinded as to 
think and say, in the face of express declarations 
of Scripture to the contrary, that he has no sin. 
But there are many blinding influences which ope- 
rate on the human heart, which itself is declared to 
be " deceitful above all things." And among these 
none is more efficient than spiritual pride. The 
selfish heart rejoices and glories in the idea of its 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 37 

own superiority to others ; and under this illusion, 
with avidity admits the persuasion, that all its in- 
iquities are purged, and that it needs no further 
purification ; and is henceforth free from the neces- 
sity of mortifying the deeds of the body, and cruci- 
fying the flesh with its affections and lusts; and 
from the necessity of asking for the pardon of daily 
sins. 

That the majority of men possess very inadequate 
ideas of the evil of sin, is evident from their con- 
tentment under its defilement. Many are not 
only contented to remain under the power of sin, 
but they embrace the odious monster with a won- 
derful avidity, and repel every attempt to deliver 
them from this mortal and evil disease. Even 
those who, for the sake of reputation, maintain an 
exterior free from gross transgressions, do often, 
cherish in their hearts ideas, desires, and purposes, 
which contain the very essence of iniquity; and 
yet they seem to have no discernment of the hate- 
ful nature of the lusts of the flesh and of the spirit, 
which they cherish in their hearts. They appear 
to be satisfied, like the Pharisee of old, if they can 
keep the outside of the cup and platter clean. 
How little the real evil of sin is perceived, even by 
professors of Christianity is manifest, from the little 
concern which they feel to be cleansed from all fil- 
thiness of the flesh and spirit. They do not groan 
as did the apostle Paul, under a painful sense of 
indwelling sin, but are very much at ease in Zion. 
If, indeed, under the power of temptation, they are 
guilty of some overt act of transgression, they are 
often deeply wounded, and discover much concern 



38 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

and sorrow for what they have done. But it is an 
evidence, that this concern, for the most part, 
springs from a selfish principle, that sins of greater 
turpitude are committed in the spirit, in the im- 
aginations and desires of the heart, for which they 
feel little or no regret. But souls under the sancti- 
fying influence of the Holy Spirit, are led to see 
that their chief disease is one of the heart; and 
before God, they mourn daily over their want of 
holy feelings and emotions, and on account of the 
many evils which they, by the application of the 
law, detect in themselves. And from the evil 
thoughts and desires which often spring up in them, 
they are convinced that the heart itself, which 
generates such sinful thoughts, must be desperately 
wicked. So far indeed, as it has been renewed, 
there is another principle implanted; but the old 
man has great strength, and even when it was 
hoped that particular sins were completely morti- 
fied, yet afterwards, under circumstances favour- 
able to their exercise, they sprout anew, and with 
vigour strive for the mastery. The great business 
of the Christian is to oppose and mortify these cor- 
ruptions, which remain after conversion, in the 
regenerate. Hence there must be a perpetual con- 
flict between the flesh and the Spirit — between the 
old man and the new. And although the real 
Christian is often discouraged with his want of 
success, in this warfare, yet the Captain of salva- 
tion has assured him of ultimate victory. None do 
truly engage in this warfare but such as have been 
enlightened to see the evil of sin as reflected from 
the mirror of the holy law. And the more they 



PRACTICAL SERMONS 39 

are convinced of sin, the more do they have recourse 
to the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. 

The use which we should make of this subject 
is 

1. To endeavour to get clear views of the extent, 
spirituality, and purity of the moral law, in order 
that we may know something of the multitude and 
malignity of our sins. We should, therefore, not 
only learn the nature of the law as exhibited in the 
Holy Scriptures, but should with conscientious 
fidelity and diligence apply the rule to our own 
hearts and lives, by a frequent and impartial ex- 
amination of ourselves. Every hour spent in such 
self-scrutiny will reveal to us evils which before 
we had not noticed. And no sin can be mortified 
and subdued, until it is detected, and its evil na- 
ture discerned. And, as all true spiritual know- 
ledge is from the Holy Ghost, we should incessantly 
pray for this inestimable blessing, which Christ 
has so emphatically taught, will be freely given to 
every one who asks — that is, who asks with faith 
and importunity. 

2. As the law convicts every man of sin, justifi- 
cation by it is impossible ; for even one sin would 
render it impossible for the transgressor to receive 
a sentence of acquittal ; how much more impossible 
is it, when our sins are literally innumerable ! 

The only condition of justification by the law, is 
perfect obedience, and no such obedience can be 
rendered by any mere man ; but it has been rendered 
by Christ, in our nature, for he was made under 
the law, and fulfilled all righteousness. And of 
this ground of acceptance the sinner is warranted, 



40 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

by the free call of the gospel, to avail himself, by 
believing with all his heart in the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

3. If the law discovers sin of every kind to be 
a base and odious thing, we should be solicitous to 
be cleansed from its defilement; and, in order to 
this, should come often to the fountain for sin and 
uncleanness, opened by the death of Christ ; that 
is, we should by faith apply to the. blood of sprink- 
ling, and should seek daily to purify ourselves from 
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. We should 
earnestly and importunately offer up the petition, 
which Christ offered in his intercessory prayer, 
" Sanctify us through thy truth, thy word is truth." 
The word rendered effectual by the Holy Spirit, 
is the efficient means of cleansing to the souls of 
believers. We should ply this work every day ; 
for it is carried on by the use of means, and our 
success in it depends very much on the diligence 
and fidelity with which we use the means of God's 
appointment. " Blessed," says Christ " are they that 
hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall 
be filled. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they 
shall see God. Be ye holy, for I am holy." 

4. A spiritual knowledge of the law is the true 
source of evangelical repentance. As sin is a dis- 
conformity to the law, and its turpitude is seen in 
this glass, the sight of it will fill the soul with sorrow 
and compunction, and work such a hatred of sin as 
will effectually turn away the soul from the abomi- 
nable thing which God hates. This view of sin, 
in its deformity and vileness, will also cause the 
soul not only to mourn, but to be ashamed and con- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 41 

founded in the presence of God. And as this 
quality of baseness and defilement belongs to all 
sin, true repentance will consist in a hearty aver- 
sion to all sin, and a fixed purpose to forsake it, 
which will show itself by reformation of life. 

5. The knowledge of sin, produced by the law, 
will have a tendency to make the true penitent 
willing to leave the present state, and forsake the 
clay tabernacle, as sin cleaves to the soul as long as 
it remains here, and these vile bodies must be laid 
in the dust, before they will be purified from the 
disorder which sin has introduced. As perfection 
in holiness is the blessedness reserved for the fu- 
ture state of the believer, he will often direct a 
longing look to those regions of purity, into which 
neither sin nor sorrow can ever enter. This delight- 
ful hope he cherishes, and it leads him, while de- 
tained below, to seek for purity. " He," says the 
apostle John, " that hath this hope in him, purifieth 
himself, even as He is pure." How sweet the rest, 
when all contest with sin and temptation shall cease ! 
How glorious the state in which we shall see no 
longer darkly through a glass, but face to face, 
and where we shall know even as we are known ! 

6. The most important benefit of the knowledge 
of sin, by the law, is, that it shows us our absolute 
need of a better righteousness than our own, and 
impels us to look for salvation, to the cross of 
Christ. The law is a schoolmaster to bring us un- 
to Christ; and, although this had primary refer- 
ence to the ceremonial law, the moral law is not 
excluded ; but is now made use of to drive sinners 
to that refuge, which God, in mercy, has prepared 

6 



42 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

for them. Commonly the first concern of the 
awakened soul has relation to the law, which he 
now begins to see to possess a binding obligation, 
and that he has broken it in innumerable instances, 
in thought, word and deed. The application of 
the law to the conscience of an awakened sinner, 
puts him, at first, on earnest efforts to repair the 
breach which he has made. He now strives by 
prayers and tears, and various human devices, to 
make satisfaction for his sins; but the more he 
strives to raise himself out of the horrible pit and 
miry clay, the deeper he sinks, and like a prisoner 
in a dark deep pit, no effort that he can make, has 
any tendency to extricate him from his helpless 
condition. But when having exhausted all his 
efforts, without success, he is ready to despair of 
salvation, he hears the voice of a kind Deliverer, 
inviting him to look unto him and be saved. It is 
as though one let down a rope to the helpless pris- 
oner. All he has to do is to take fast hold, and he is 
drawn up and finds himself in safety, and at liberty. 
So the convinced sinner seizes the invitations of the 
gospel, with the strong grasp of faith, and behold ! 
he is brought out of darkness into the marvellous 
light of the gospel, and from a state of condemna- 
tion to complete justification. If I now speak 
to any convinced, discouraged soul, who finds that 
he can do nothing to remove either the guilt or 
defilement of sin, I would earnestly and affection- 
ately exhort such to take immediate refuge under 
the cross. The crucified Redeemer sends forth an 
influence from this point, which effectually draws 
the hearts of sinners to himself. " Look unto me 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 43 

and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I 
am God, and there is none beside me." As Moses 
lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness for 
the healing of those who were dying by the vene- 
mous bite or sting of the fiery serpents ; so the Son 
of Man has been lifted up, that whosoever believeth 
on him might have everlasting life. All that was 
required in the former case was to look, and all 
that is necessary to salvation now is faith, which is 
nothing else but looking unto Jesus for his help 
and deliverance. 



SERMON III. 



THE FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT. 

The first of all the commandments is ; Hear, Israel, the Lord our 
God is one Lord : and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all 
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with 
all thy strength. This is the first commandment. — Mark xii. 29, 30. 

There are two reasons why God should be loved 
with all the heart : the first is his infinite excellence 
and loveliness in himself ; the second, his goodness 
exercised toward us in creation, providence, and 
redemption. It should not seem hard to be required 
to love God with all the heart, soul, mind and 
strength. This requisition is most reasonable ; for 
God is worthy of our highest and most constant 
love ; and our own happiness also is consulted in 
this requirement ; for the soul can never be com- 
pletely blessed but in the perfect love of its Maker. 
But, in our fallen state, we cannot love God with 
that intensity and constancy which are required in 
this first commandment. True, in our fallen state 
we cannot love God at all, by any strength that is 
in us. But does this prove that it is unreasonable 
to love God in any degree ? If the heart was right 
in the sight of God, it would be as easy to love God 
with all the heart, as to love him in the lowest 
44 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 45 

degree ; yea, it would be easier ; for the soul would 
be happier in the perfect exercise of love, than m 
an imperfect exercise of this affection. Again, 
if God was satisfied with less than perfect love, he 
would be content that his rational creatures should 
possess less moral excellence, less of his own image, 
than they are capable of ; yea, he would be satisfied 
that they should remain in a state of moral de- 
pravity ; for every defect of perfect love is moral 
depravity — is sin, that " abominable thing which 
God hateth." The total want of love to God is the 
essence and root of all depravity ; and just so far 
as we fall short of that perfect love which this first 
commandment requires, just so far we are inwardly 
defiled with sin. But is it reasonable to require of 
creatures what they have no ability to perform? 
If they desired with all their heart to do their duty, 
and yet could not, for want of the proper faculties, 
then indeed, they would be blameless; no more 
could be required of them. But what is the sin- 
ner's inability ? It is not the want of faculties or 
opportunities. The same faculties and affections 
with which he so ardently pursues after the world, 
would be sufficient for the performance of all that 
is required of him, if he was rightly disposed. But 
" the carnal mind is enmity against God ; is not sub- 
ject to his law, neither indeed can be." Will the sin- 
ner plead this inveterate enmity as his excuse? 
This is too absurd to be received by any one. Such 
inability as this is the essence of iniquity. Instead 
of excusing the sinner, it is the very ground of cul- 
pability. External acts are evil as proceeding from 
such a malign principle. No one truly convinced 



46 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

of sin can ever think of pleading this inability as 
an apology. If the law had required us to love 
God with all the powers of the highest angel, who 
is possessed of faculties which do not belong to 
human nature, it would have been unreasonable. 
But his requisition is to love him with all our 
hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds, with 
all our strength. The law is exactly adapted to our 
minds. It requires just what our faculties are cap- 
able of, when not debilitated by sin. And to holy 
creatures, the command to love God with all their 
hearts, cannot appear grievous. The holy angels 
would not consider it a privilege to be released 
from the obligation to love God with all their 
powers. Indeed, holy men upon earth do not view 
this as a hardship. They have no desire that this 
first and greatest of all commandments should be 
annulled or relaxed. They see not only a reason- 
ableness in the requisition, but a divine beauty in 
conformity to it, which causes them to hunger and 
thirst after perfect holiness. This then is not an 
arbitrary appointment, but the law of our nature. 

These four things may be distinguished in our 
love of God. 1. A high esteem of his character, 
and a complacency in his moral attributes, as ex- 
hibited in Holy Scripture. 2. A desire that God 
should be glorified, and a rejoicing in his greatness, 
majesty, sovereignty, independence, perfection, and 
blessedness. 3. Gratitude for his favours and bless- 
ings of every kind, conferred upon us. 4. A desire 
of the greatest possible nearness to God. The soul 
actuated by love, ardently seeks union with the 
beloved object, of the closest kind ; and communion 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 47 

intimate and reciprocal. Love is impatient of ab- 
sence, and exerts itself to remove hindrances to a 
near access to the person beloved. But, as in our 
present state of ignorance, the soul enjoys only ob- 
scure views of God, love is chiefly exercised in 
desire — desire of clearer knowledge — desire of 
greater conformity — desire of more intimate com- 
munion — desire that God may be glorified. Under 
each of these heads a great variety of emotions 
are found in experience to exist, not only differ- 
ent degrees of the same affection, but a variety in 
kind, according to the view which the rational soul 
is enabled to take of the attributes, works and dis- 
pensations of God. Among these is adoration, ac- 
companied with holy wonder at the incompre- 
hensibility of the great Creator ! This emotion, 
we have reason to think, enters deeply into the 
worship of the heavenly hosts ; especially of those 
who, like Gabriel, stand in the immediate presence 
of God. And this view cannot be entertained 
without a corresponding sense of the creature's 
littleness and insignificance, and a voluntary self- 
abasement. The heavenly worshippers are, there- 
fore, represented as veiling their faces, and falling 
prostrate, and casting their crowns at the feet of the 
great I AM. And even in the imperfect worship 
among men, this holy veneration and godly fear is 
an essential ingredient. The holiest men, as Isaiah, 
Daniel, John &c, were overwhelmed when the 
divine majesty was clearly manifested to their view. 
Some of the divine attributes are adapted to pro- 
duce the feeling of awe or fear ; but others, com- 
placency, or an emotion of elevated delight. Now, 



48 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

as the views which are obtained of. the character of 
God, are commonly complex, the emotions experi- 
enced will also be of a mixed nature ; the awful or 
the joyful predominating, according as the one or 
the other class of divine attributes is presented to 
the mind. 

As our love to creatures includes not only com- 
placency, but benevolence, it may be asked, how 
we can exercise benevolence to the infinitely glo- 
rious and ever blessed God, as he is incapable of 
receiving any accession to his glory or felicity. 
The reply to which is, that towards God this affec- 
tion is exercised in desiring that his glory may be 
manifested to all intelligent creatures ; in rejoicing 
m the infinitely glorious excellence of his character 
and in the immeasurable felicity which he pos- 
sesses in and of himself, and in his immutable inde- 
pendence, and eternal sovereignty over all crea- 
tures in the heavens and in the earth. 

Some persons, fond of over-refinement in their 
speculations, have come to the abstract conclusion, 
that gratitude is no virtue, or no part of a holy 
character, because, as they allege, it is not a dis- 
interested, but a selfish feeling. Now, whether it 
be selfish or disinterested, the unsophisticated 
moral sense of all men has determined, not only 
that it is a virtuous exercise, but that a large part 
of holiness in the creature, consists in a flow 
of gratitude to the Author of all good, for his mul- 
tiplied and marvellous benefits, freely bestowed. 
And the Holy Scriptures confirm the dictates of 
our moral feelings. No iniquity is portrayed in 
darker colours than ingratitude. " The ox know- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 49 

eth his owner and the ass his master's crib, but 
Israel doth not know, my people doth not con- 
sider." " Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, 
for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and 
brought up children, and they have rebelled against 
me." A large part of the Psalms, given by 
divine inspiration, is taken up in expressing grati- 
tude to God for his various mercies. Take for 
example Psa. ciii., " Bless the Lord, O my soul, 
and all that is within me bless his holy name. 
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his bene- 
fits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth 
all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from 
destruction ; who crowneth thee with loving-kind- 
ness, and tendei mercies. Who satisfieth thy 
mouth with good things, so that thy youth is re- 
newed like the eagle's." The expression of grati- 
tude by praise is declared to be not only comely, but 
the method by which God may be glorified. And it 
is not confined to the earth, it is the chief employ- 
ment of heaven. The redeemed of the Lord, who 
stand on Mount Zion, clothed in white robes, with 
palms in their hands, cried with a loud voice, say- 
ing, " salvation to our God who sitteth upon the 
throne, and to the Lamb." And the burden of the 
song of the redeemed, in heaven is, " Unto him 
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his 
own blood, and hath made us kings and priests 
unto God and his Father; to him be glory and 
dominion for ever and ever." 

But there is no propriety in considering religious 
gratitude a selfish feeling. We are incapable of a 
more disinterested affection. It is true, it is occa- 

7 



50 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

sioned by benefits conferred upon ourselves; but 
it essentially consists in a desire to make some 
suitable return for the mercies received. Genuine 
gratitude would not stop short of a full return, if 
the thing were possible, but as it is not, it vents 
itself in praise and thanksgiving. Much of the 
spirit of true devotion in heaven and in earth con- 
sists in the lively exercise of gratitude. And when 
any are brought under true conviction of sin, no 
view of their disobedience affects them so deeply 
and tenderly, as their ingratitude. These are the 
views which melt the hard heart, and produce 
genuine contrition of spirit. The inferences which 
we may draw from what has been said, are, 

1. That when all duty to God is expressed by 
the word love, the term must be understood in a 
very comprehensive sense, as including a great 
variety of emotions and affections, all which how- 
ever, are produced by some just views of the divine 
character. 

2. If this commandment is still in force, and 
God's moral law never changes, then undoubtedly, 
all men who ever lived in the world are sinners ; 
for sin is a transgression of the law. All have 
failed to love God with all the heart and soul and 
mind and strength. 

3. It hence appears, that not only have all men 
failed to come up to the perfection which this com- 
mandment requires ; but, by nature, all have utter- 
ly and totally come short ; for by nature, all men 
love the creature more than the Creator. " They 
are lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God." 
Indeed, they do not love God at all, but are at en- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 51 

mity with him. They are " alienated from the life 
of God, through the ignorance that is in them. 
There is none that doeth good, no not one. 
There is no fear of God before their eyes, and 
the way of peace have they not known. The 
heart is deceitful above all things and desperately 
wicked. The carnal mind is enmity against 
God." 

4. We see from a consideration of this subject, 
that the want of love to God is the corrupt fountain 
from which all other sins, as so many streams, flow. 
The first sin, and every other sin have had their 
source in this defect. All evil actions, even the 
worst, may be traced up to this corrupt source. 
As the sum of obedience was love, so the germ of 
all sin is the defect of this holy principle. And 
where the defect is total, there is total depravity. 

5. From this subject, Christians may learn how 
much iniquity still remains in their hearts. Just 
so far as you come short of loving God with all the 
heart, soul, mind, and strength, just so far are your 
hearts evil in the sight of God. Here, two things 
deserve consideration; the first is, that when we 
do love God, the affection falls very far short of 
that intensity which this commandment requires. 
It is cold, and feeble, when it should glow with 
sacred fire. And again, there is often an interrup- 
tion of the exercise of our love. We fail in con- 
stancy, as well as in intensity. We forget God, or 
we forget his benefits. The objects of the world, 
too often steal away our hearts from God. O how 
little veneration do we feel, when we pronounce 
the awful name of Jehovah ! or when we enter into 



52 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

his house, and professedly engage in his solemn 
worship. How little zeal have we for the glory of 
God ! How little delight in contemplating his 
character ! How little gratitude for his marvellous 
loving-kindness ; especially for his redeeming love ! 
When we hold up this mirror before us, how dread- 
ful our deformity ! How innumerable our sins ! 
Truly " they are more than the hairs of our head." 

6. From this subject, we learn the blindness of 
those, who depend for salvation on their own good- 
ness of heart, on their innocence of life, on the moral- 
ity of their conduct; or, on a scrupulous and 
exact performance of external duties, whether cere- 
monial or moral. 

7. And hence, we see the absolute necessity of a 
radical change of heart. If the moral image of 
God in man is defaced, none but God himself can 
renew us again in this image. In the first crea- 
tion, it was the noblest production of the Almighty, 
and in the new creation, God must be the efficient 
agent. By him alone, can we be " created in 
Christ Jesus unto good works." 

8. But although we see nothing in mere man but 
disconformity to this holy commandment; yet in 
Jesus Christ, who was made under the law, we ob- 
serve obedience to this commandment perfectly ex- 
emplified. He obeyed both internally and exter- 
nally, for " he was holy, harmless, undefiled, and 
separate from sinners." He never had a thought 
or desire which in the least deviated from this rule. 
And this perfect righteousness of our Mediator, was 
not only for our example, but for our justification, 
by being made over to us by imputation. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 53 

9. " The end of the commandment is charity 
out of a pure heart." " If ye love me," says Christ, 
"keep my commandments." "Love," says Paul, 
"is the fulfilling of the law." As all holy obedi- 
ence flows from love, and is its natural expression ; 
if we wish to glorify God by doing good works, we 
must keep ourselves in the love of God, by the 
Holy Ghost, Good works are the fruits which the 
Christian must bring forth; but the savour and 
sweetness of these fruits is nothing else but love to 
God. 

10. Finally, we should be constantly endeavour- 
ing to approach nearer and nearer to the perfection 
which the law requires. We should be engaged 
daily, in cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of 
the flesh and spirit, and perfecting holiness in the 
fear of God. The more conformable we are to this 
commandment, in heart and life, the greater will 
be our- felicity and glory in the world to come. 



SEEMON IV. 



THE SECOND LIKE UNTO THE FIRST. 

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as 
thyself.— Mark xii. 31. 

If man had been placed alone upon earth, or so far 
separated from all other rational creatures that he 
could have had no knowledge of them, there would 
have existed no foundation for this commandment. 
But man was made to live in society, and mutual 
love is the very cement of society. Men gjhould 
love one another, because they are all the workman- 
ship of the same almighty hand ; because they all 
partake of the same nature, being the descendants 
of the same original parents ; because they are all 
subjected to the same evils and infirmities; and be- 
cause they are all under the same responsibility, 
and hastening to the same termination of their 
earthly existence. Originally man was created 
in the image and likeness of God, in knowledge 
and true holiness, and this was the foundation of 
the obligation to exercise mutual esteem and moral 
complacency. But this likeness to God having 
been defaced, we cannot be required to love one 
another with this kind of love, until we are renew- 
54. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 55 

ed in the spirit of our mind ; renewed in knowledge 
after the image of him that created us. Certainly, 
God requires no one to approve of that which He 
disapproves, or to love that which He hates. But 
the loss of the moral image of God does not release 
us from the obligation to love one another as the 
creatures of God, and as proceeding from the same 
stock. The love of benevolence which regards the 
happiness of the person beloved, may be exercised 
to the utmost extent, toward those whose moral 
character is not amiable. When God is said to 
love the world of mankind, it cannot be supposed 
that he approves their sinful character, but that he 
seeks their best interests — their everlasting welfare. 
So, when his law requires men to love one another, 
it must be the love of benevolence which is prima- 
rily required, while they remain in an unholy state. 
But whenever his image is in any degree restored 
in any of our fallen race, it is evident that we should 
love them on account of that image, for the same 
reason that we should love the moral excellence of 
God himself. 

The principal difficulty which has been found in 
explaining this second commandment is the degree 
of love which is required of us, toward our neigh- 
bour. " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy- 
self." Now, to many this seems to be simply 
impossible. Some expositors have therefore ex- 
plained the meaning to be, Thou shalt love thy 
neighbour as truly as thyself, or with the same 
kind of love. But this cannot be admitted to 
be the true import of this commandment. For 
in the first and greatest commandment, the de- 



56 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

gree in which we should love God is fixed. It 
must be with all the heart, all the soul, all the 
mind, and all the strength. If it had only been 
intended to teach that we should love our neigh- 
bour in some degree, there would have been no use 
in saying " as thyself.'' And according to this in- 
terpretation, the least conceivable degree of love 
would have answered the demands of the law. 
Undoubtedly, the commandment should be taken 
in its plain and obvious meaning. It does require, 
that we should love our neighbour as much as we 
love ourselves. And however impossible this may 
be to fallen man, it would not be so, if he were per- 
fectly holy. First then, whatever of excellence my 
neighbour may possess, I should have the same 
esteem for it, as if that excellence belonged to my- 
self. Paul, who is a good expositor of the law, 
exhorts, "to esteem others better than ourselves." 
Why should we value moral worth when perceived 
in our own character, more than when the same is 
observed in the character of another ? And as self- 
love would lead us, under views of truth, to desire 
our own moral improvement, so the law of God re- 
quires us to seek the moral improvement of our 
brother, with the same intensity of desire. 

Again, we should desire and seek his happiness, 
as much as we seek our own. Here is the point 
of difficulty ; and to remove it, I would remark, 
that it is not the instinctive desire of well-being 
which is implanted in us, and in all living crea- 
tures, to which reference is had. This principle 
of self-preservation is not at all under the control 
of the will. We can no more divest ourselves of it, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 57 

than of our existence. No principle of the same 
kind and strength is implanted in us, in relation to 
the well-being of others. And no rational, volun- 
tary affection can ever be so strong as to counter- 
vail this instinctive desire of the continuance of 
life and of happiness. This instinctive principle, 
so deeply inherent in our constitution, is not of a 
moral nature. It exists in equal strength in the 
good and the bad, in angels and devils. But, be- 
sides this, there is in man a rational regard to his 
own best interests, leading him to adopt and pur- 
sue such measures as appear to him to be best 
adapted to promote his highest happiness. Now 
this regard to our own best interests is a duty re- 
cognized in this very commandment; for we are 
required to love our neighbour as ourselves ; that is, 
as we love ourselves. The rule of duty prescribed 
is this : As you will not omit to pay a regard to your 
own welfare and happiness, for the principle of self- 
preservation will prompt you to this; so pay the 
same regard to the welfare and best interests of 
your neighbour. This kind and degree of affection 
to one another does not require us to neglect or dis- 
regard our own happiness. If I had a disposition 
to seek my neighbour's happiness as much as I do 
my own, this would not lessen but increase my 
personal happiness; for true enjoyment is not so 
n.uch connected with the exercise of self-love, as 
with the indulgence of benevolence. But to bring 
this matter fairly before the moral judgment of our 
minis, I will suppose this case ; that I have it in 
my jower by some act of mine to increase my own 
happiness, by depriving my neighbour of an equal 

8 



58 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

portion of his, would it be right for me to do so ? 
Every mind of right moral feelings would answer 
promptly and unhesitatingly, It would not. But 
why would it not? No reason can be assigned 
but this, that I am bound by the law of God, to 
regard the happiness of my neighbour as much as 
I do my own. If this were not the true principle 
of duty — if it were lawful for me to love myself 
more than I love my neighbour, then it would be 
lawful for me to detract from his happiness to in- 
crease my own. 

What has been remarked respecting the instinc- 
tive principle of self-preservation, is equally appli- 
cable to what are called the natural affections, as 
of parents to their children. These affections are a 
part of our constitution, and are often exceedingly 
strong, and intended, like the principle of self-pre- 
servation, to secure what could not be so well pro- 
vided for, by any perfection of reason or conscience. 
And no love governed by reason and a sense of 
duty can commonly overcome these strong instinc- 
tive affections. They are, however, not so uncon- 
trolable as the principle of self-preservation. These 
affections belong, not to the class of selfish, but be- 
nevolent feelings • and therefore they do not direct- 
ly serve to illustrate our subject. 

Though we are bound by the law of God to de- 
sire and seek our neighbour's welfare, as much as 
our own, it does not follow, that we have as much 
in our power, in regard to him, as ourselves. Evary 
man, so to speak, is put in charge of himself, but 
not in the same degree of his brother. We have 
a power over our own minds, but no direct power 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 59 

over the mind of another. We are ever present 
with ourselves, but only occasionally with others; 
therefore we can do much more to promote our own 
happiness, than the happiness of others. On the 
same principle, without interfering with this com- 
mandment, we have many more duties to perform 
to our own families and dependents than toward 
those with whom we do not stand in the same re- 
lations. But whenever a case occurs in which I 
have the same opportunity and ability to advance 
his welfare as my own, I am bound to have an 
equal regard to it, and to use the means to promote 
it, as much as my own, and to avoid every thing 
which would have a tendency to injure him, as 
vigilantly, and earnestly, as I would avoid those 
things which would be injurious to my own in- 
terests. And, as was before said, this obligation to 
love my neighbour as myself cannot injure me, or 
interfere with the pursuit of my own happiness. 
There is no collision, nor interference between the 
selfish and benevolent affection, or rather, the ex- 
ercise of love to others in the full extent of the com- 
mandment, is the most effectual method of promot- 
ing my own happiness. 

The Jews before our Saviour's time, had a pro- 
verbial saying, "thou shalt love thy neighbour, and 
hate thine enemy. " They therefore thought, that 
they owed no good will or kindness to those whom 
they reckoned to be enemies. They felt free, 
therefore, to indulge their hatred toward such, and 
had reduced it to a law or maxim. But our bless- 
ed Lord gave to the commandment of God its true 
extent and import, teaching that we should love 



60 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

our enemies and do good to them that hate us. 
On one occasion, a certain scribe thought to puzzle 
him with this very question, in relation to this com- 
mandment, "and who is my neighbour?" which 
led him to deliver one of the most beautiful, touch- 
ing, and instructive discourses which is to be found 
in the New Testament. It is as follows. 

" And Jesus answering said, A certain man went 
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among 
thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and 
wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 
And by chance there came down a certain priest 
that way ; and when he saw him, he passed by on 
the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he 
was at the place, came and looked on him, and 
passed by on the other side. But a certain Sa- 
maritan, as he journeyed, came where he was : and 
when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and 
went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in 
oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and 
brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And 
on the morrow when he departed, he took out two 
pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto 
him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou 
spendest more, when I come again, I will repay 
thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, 
was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves ? 
And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then 
said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." 

The shortest and most comprehensive commen- 
tary ever given of this commandment is that of our 
Lord, several times repeated; "Whatsoever ye 
would that men should do unto you, do ye even so 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 61 

to them." This is declared to be "the law and 
the prophets;" that is, it comprehends all the duties 
which we owe to our fellow men, inculcated in the 
law and the prophets. The whole that the law re- 
quires of us is, that we love our neighbour as our- 
selves ; and the treatment of our neighbour which 
this love leads us to observe, is comprehended in 
the aforesaid precept ; for as we never fail in a pro- 
per degree of love to ourselves, if we make this the 
rule of our conduct to our neighbour, we shall then 
be found fulfilling the law. Self-love always de- 
mands of others fully as much as they are bound in 
duty to do unto us. But may not self-love be ex- 
cessive and demand too much ? then this rule will 
serve to check the excess and reduce it to what is 
just and reasonable. Suppose a man should in- 
dulge the unreasonable desire that his neighbour 
should bestow upon him his whole estate. Then by 
this precept he would be bound to give back the 
whole to his neighbour. This precept well de- 
serves the appellation of the " golden rule," for 
while it teaches us the measure of our duty, it pro- 
vides an effectual guard against the disposition un- 
duly to favour ourselves. 

From this subject we learn the true foundation 
of justice among men. It is the application of this 
commandment to the common intercourse of so- 
ciety. Whatever in our dealings with men, proceeds 
from a disposition to give the preference to our own 
interest, when it comes in competition with that of 
another, is in violation of this law. We never can 
innocently aim at making gain by that which will 
be our neighbour's loss. In barter, or the commu- 



62 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

tation of articles of value, there should be a dispo- 
sition to do equal justice ; for lawful trade should 
be mutually profitable to those engaged in it. It is 
true, my neighbour is the proper judge of what he 
wants, and of what he will give in exchange for 
articles which I possess ; and if he judges errone- 
ously, we cannot be accountable for it, unless we 
by our words or actions mislead him ; then are we 
guilty of injustice. All attempts, therefore, to un- 
dervalue the articles which he offers in exchange ; 
or to exaggerate the value of our own, so as to bring 
about an unfair result, is evidently unjust. So also, 
if I know that his goods are more valuable than he 
supposes, and acting on my superior information, 
obtain his property for less than he would have 
taken for it, had he possessed my information, I do 
not love my neighbour as myself. I ought not to 
wish to get possession of my neighbour's property 
for less than its real value. What this may be, is 
a matter on which men may differ in opinion. 
And if men are honest in forming their opinions, 
there may be nothing wrong. But to put off a de- 
fective article without making known its defects, is 
evidently unjust, as also to put off in trade goods as 
being of a different kind from what we know they 
are. If these principles be correct, then you will 
say, the world is full of injustice. All our shops 
and markets are scenes of injustice. And it may 
be asked, if these strict rules are obligatory, who is 
there, that has clean hands? And what profit 
would there be in commerce ? Lawful commerce 
was never intended to permit one man to make gain 
by the loss of others ; but I may have articles which 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 63 

I do not need but which my neighbour wants ; so 
he may have articles which he does not need, but 
which suit me ; or not having such articles himself, 
he can give me that which will enable me to pro- 
cure them. And thus lawful commerce is mutu- 
ally beneficial. But how can a man make his for- 
tune by trade, on these principles ? No man has 
any right to grow rich on the losses of his fellow 
creatures. He has no right to enrich himself by 
impoverishing them. But if a merchant takes the 
pains, and runs the risk of carrying goods to a for- 
eign country, and bringing back in exchange ar- 
ticles which are needed by thousands, they may 
be willing to allow him for these articles which 
they need, what will be great gain to him, and at 
the same time a great convenience to them. There 
is then cause for honest gain, and such acquisitions 
are worth possessing; but unjust gain, never. 
The blessing of God rests upon the one, but his 
curse upon the other. On this principle the Scrip- 
tures so frequently condemn deceitful weights and 
measures. It is plain, if we love our neighbour as 
ourselves, we shall be far from plotting against him, 
from doing violence to him or injuring his reputa- 
tion, or even wounding his feelings, except for his be- 
nefit. It is unnecessary to enumerate the crimes 
which are in violation of this commandment. They 
are exceedingly numerous. Our prisons, our courts 
of justice, and our laws give testimony, that the world 
is full of crimes forbidden by this precept. Indeed 
our very locks and bolts, our bonds and mutual 
covenants, are intended to guard against injustice. 
Now, let us suppose for a moment, that all men 



64 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

were disposed to love others as themselves, and to 
do justice to every one, what a change would there 
be in the condition of the world ! Every body 
would have a sufficiency, and all would be far hap- 
pier than at present. Some think to excuse them- 
selve for overreaching and taking advantage of the 
simple, that most others do the same, and they are 
under the necessity of acting in this manner, in 
self-defence. If this were a valid apology for the 
common practices in the commerce of men, it would 
be sufficient to justify stealing and forgery, and every 
crime committed against property. No, there is 
no necessity for any species of dishonesty. The 
old proverb is true, " Honesty is the best policy." 

The duty of charity, or giving, as far as may be 
in our power, relief to the indigent and distressed, 
owes its obligation to this command. As the num- 
ber of those who need relief is so great in every 
country, if the heart of any one was influenced to 
the degree it should be, by love to his fellow-men, 
he would be constantly labouring for their relief. 
Well, in proportion as we feel good will to men, 
we shall be disposed to open wide the hand of 
charity, in giving alms to the poor, and in extend- 
ing relief to the suffering of all descriptions. It 
would matter not to what country or sect he be- 
longed, or how degraded and depraved he might be, 
still he is our neighbour, and we are bound to love 
him as ourselves. The only limit to our acts of 
kindness and beneficence should be our ability ; and 
we should seek industriously, the means of doing 
good ; and should seek out the most suitable objects 
of charity, when we can only relieve a part. Our 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 65 

Lord required some to sell all that they had, and 
give to the poor. This could never be a duty gen- 
erally incumbent, for then the giver would become 
poor and the receivers made rich ; on which they 
would be bound to give all back again ; and so there 
would be nothing but a perpetual change of condi- 
tion between the rich and the poor. But Christ 
did command that we should give alms of what we 
possess. But alms-giving is but a small part of the 
duties of charity which arise from this command- 
ment, of loving our neighbour. In the description 
of the day of judgment, given by Christ, in the xxv. 
of Matthew, we have an emphatical lesson on the 
importance which on that day will be given to this 
duty. For the King having separated the right- 
eous and the wicked, as a shepherd separateth the 
sheep from the goats, and having placed the sheep 
on his right hand and the goats on the left, will 
say to them on his right hand, " Come, ye blessed 
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world : For I was an 
hungered, and ye gave me meat : I was thirsty, 
and ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and ye 
took me in : Naked, and ye clothed me : I was 
sick, and ye visited me : I was in prison, and ye 
came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer 
him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, 
and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? 
or naked, and clothed thee ? Or when saw we thee 
sick, or in prison, and came unto thee ? And the 
King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say 
unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of 

9 



66 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the least of these my brethren, ye have done it un- 
to me. Then shall he say also unto them on the 
left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlast- 
ing fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For 
I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat : I 
was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink : I was a 
stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, and ye 
clothed me not : sick, and in prison, and ye visited 
me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, 
Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, 
or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and 
did not minister unto thee? Then shall he an- 
swer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch 
as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did 
it not to me. And these shall go away into ever- 
lasting punishment : but the righteous into life 
eternal." 

But our love must not be confined, nor princi- 
pally directed to the welfare of the body. The 
immortal soul chiefly calls for our benevolent ex- 
ertions. To rescue souls from everlasting ruin, is 
the noblest charity. And here, what a field of ex- 
ertion opens to the truly benevolent ! The people 
are perishing for lack of knowledge : will not love 
to your neighbour impel you to send them the Bible, 
and to teach them to read it ? Will it not make 
you willing to forego ease and selfish indulgence, 
that you may have the means of sending the living 
teacher to instruct the ignorant ? But the number 
who labour under a spiritual dearth is so great, 
that it is in vain to think of supplying them all ; 
and of what account will be the exertions of an in- 
dividual, and especially of one poor and destitute 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 67 

of talents ? You ne.ed not take in the whole field 
of destitution. Consider what is within your reach. 
If it be ever so small a spot of earth that you can 
cultivate, withhold not your hand. " Sow your 
seed in the morning, and in the evening withhold 
not your hand." Do what you can and leave it to 
God to raise up other labourers to supply the fields 
which you cannot reach. Despise not the day of 
small things. The word is the seed, and is often 
prolific, bringing forth an hundred-fold. "The 
kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman 
took and hid in three measures of meal, till the 
whole was leavened . ' ' And whether your labours for 
the salvation of souls are successful or not; yet 
your duty in the case is plain and must be per- 
formed. And whether the people be converted by 
your labours or not, you shall receive your reward. 
The Lord never forgets " works of faith and labours 
of love." And as the power of man is able to ac- 
complish nothing in this business without divine 
aid, O wrestle with God in prayer, day and night, 
for the outpouring of his Holy Spirit, and for the 
propagation of the Gospel over the whole world. 
Give him no rest until he establish and make Jeru- 
salem a praise in all the earth. Say, "For Zion's 
sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's 
sake I will not be silent, until the righteousness there- 
of go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof 
as a lamp that burnetii." 



SERMON V 



THE NAME JESUS. 



And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus 
for he shall save his people from their sins. — Matt. i. 21. 



Names, among the Hebrews, were generally signifi- 
cant. In some instances, on record in the Old 
Testament, God was pleased to make some change 
in the names of his servants, as in the case of 
Abram and Sarai, which, by divine direction, were 
altered to Abraham and Sarah. And to Jacob the 
name of Israel was given, after his successful 
wrestling with the angel. Names, therefore, are 
not unimportant ; and especially, those which have 
been written in the book of life, before the founda- 
tion of the world. 

The name Jesus, in the New Testament, answers 
to Joshua in the Old; and twice, when Joshua 
is spoken of, he is called Jesus, in the New 
Testament, (Acts vii. 45; Heb. iv. 8.) This name 
also in the Old Testament, is sometime written 
Jehoshua, and Oshea; but the signification is the 
same in every case. It means a saviour. It was, 
therefore, peculiarly suitable to be the name of 
Messiah. From Josephus, it appears, that it was a 
68 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 69 

name very common among the Jews. There are 
two eminent persons called by this name in the Old 
Testament, both of whom may be considered types 
of Jesus the Saviour. The first was the minister 
of Moses, who succeeded him as the leader of the 
tribes of Israel. He had the honour of introducing 
the people of God into the promised land, a privi- 
lege which was denied to Moses, though earnestly 
desired. Under Joshua as the captain of the armies 
of Israel the nations of Canaan were subdued, and 
their country divided as an inheritance among the 
tribes of Israel. The other distinguished person 
named Joshua, or Jeshua, was the high priest who 
with Zerubbabel conducted the Jews from Babylon, 
after their seventy years' captivity, back into their 
own country. It is not necessary to dwell upon 
the points of resemblance between these two emi- 
nent persons and the Messiah. The main point is, 
that both these brought the covenanted people of 
God from the land of their captivity and bondage, 
and conducted them to the land which God had 
promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their 
seed ; and Jesus, the Saviour, leads all his chosen 
people from the bondage of sin and captivity of 
Satan, into the liberty which God gives ; and, fi- 
nally, he will conduct them to those mansions in 
his Father's house, which he has gone to prepare 
for them. 

The angel said, " thou shalt call his name Jesus, 
for he shall save his people from their sins." Our 
attention must first be directed to that state from 
which Jesus saves his people. It is from sin. 
Sin is defined by an apostle to be " the transgression 



70 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

of the law," or, "a want of conformity to the law 
of God ;" as the original term- more properly im- 
ports. " By the law, then, is the knowledge of sin." 
The moral law which God has given to man is like 
himself, "holy, jnst, and good." It is such a law 
as must proceed from a Lawgiver who is infinite in 
every perfection. It is a law wisely suited to the 
constitution and capacity of the rational creature. 
It requires nothing but what is connected with the 
highest dignity and happiness of man. To have 
required less, would have indicated less wisdom, 
goodness, and holiness, in the Governor of the uni- 
verse. The law is perfect ; it could not be better 
or holier than it is. It requires man to love his 
Creator with all his powers, but it requires no 
more than the right exercise of the faculties be- 
stowed. The law being a just expression of the 
moral excellence of the Lawgiver, the transgression 
of it, or any disconformity to it, must be the oppo- 
site of this excellence. This is sin, — the vilest 
thing in existence. God is the Author of all good ; 
but he is not the Author of sin. He is, indeed, the 
Author of the free agent ; but sin proceeds from the 
abuse of that liberty which is essential to a free, 
moral agent. Sin is a most unreasonable thing, for 
it opposes itself to all that is good. Sin is the 
height of folly, for it turns away from the only 
true source of happiness. Sin is odious in its in- 
trinsic nature. It deforms, defiles, and disorders 
the soul into which it enters. It is the essence of 
ingratitude, for it returns evil for good. It is re- 
bellion against the most rightful authority. It is 
the proper cause of all misery, the prolific poison- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 71 

ous seed, which produces a harvest of woes. We 
can conceive of no evil which is not included in 
sin. There is nothing else with which we can 
compare it, to show its evil. The apostle seems to 
labour for expressions strong enough to represent 
its evil, and sums up his description, by saying, 
that it is " exceeding sinful." Now, the law of 
God denounces a curse against all sin : " cursed is 
every one that continueth not in all things written 
in the book of the law to do them." All who have 
sinned are, therefore, under the curse. And from 
this no creature can deliver them. All sinners are 
equally condemned, but all are not condemned to 
equal punishment. The Lord is just, and will 
render to every one according to his deserts. But 
banishment from his presence, is the doom of all 
sinners. Nothing which the sinner can do, him- 
self, will save him from either the punishment due 
to sin, or from its inherent defilement. This was 
the condition of every man of Adam's race; all 
have sinned, and are under the curse. The Son 
of God, viewing our unhappy condition, pitied us, 
and consented to become our Saviour. This re- 
quired a wonderful humiliation on his part. It re- 
quired, that he should become man, that he might 
bring in a justifying righteousness. The demands 
of justice must be satisfied, and this could only be 
done by answering all the claims of the law. He 
must not only become incarnate, but he must place 
himself under the law, not only to render a perfect 
obedience to its precepts, but that he might endure 
its penalty. " When the fulness of time was come, 
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made 



72 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

under the law, to redeem them that were under the 
law." " Christ hath redeemed lis from the curse 
of the law, being made a curse for us ; for it is 
written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a 
tree." By the obedience and death of Christ, a 
foundation is laid for the gratuitous justification of 
the believing sinner, however ungodly he may have 
been. The atonement of Christ is of infinite value, 
and sufficient to take away the guilt of the most 
enormous sins. There is, therefore, pardon and 
peace for every penitent believer. But they who 
reject the Saviour, or neglect to fly to the hope set 
before them in the Gospel, must perish. For such 
there is no escape. There is no other sacrifice for 
sin. There is no other name by which they can 
be saved — no other foundation on which they can 
build. To those who trust in Christ, there is com- 
plete safety. To them who are in Christ Jesus 
there is no condemnation. " Being justified by faith, 
we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus 
Christ." But Jesus not only saves from the curse 
and condemnation of sin, but from sin itself. There 
can be no real salvation, which does not deliver 
from sin's power and pollution in the soul. Sin 
has in itself so much evil, that it will produce 
misery, wherever it exists and reigns. Sin and 
misery are as indissolubly connected as holiness 
and happiness. The bitterest punishment of the 
lost will consist in the unrestrained violence of 
malignant passions, and the remorse which accom- 
panies them. Jesus, therefore, had it as a main ob- 
ject of his coming into our world, " to save his peo- 
ple from sin." This is a work which no creature 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 73 

can perform. It supposes the complete renovation 
of the inner man. " Verily, verily, I say unto 
thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God." This destruction of sin in the 
soul is the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit, to 
whom it belongs to enlighten the mind, to purify 
the heart, and to mortify sin. The word of God, 
however, is the instrument in the hand of the Spi- 
rit by which regeneration and sanctification are ef- 
fected. " Being born again, not of corruptible seed, 
but of incorruptible, by the word of God which 
liveth and abideth forever. Sanctify them through 
thy truth; thy word is truth." Sin has struck its 
roots deep in our nature. Nothing short of a di- 
vine energy can eradicate the evil. God could, no 
doubt, sanctify the soul in as short a time as it is 
regenerated, but it has pleased him to pursue a dif- 
ferent course. He chooses to carry on this work 
gradually, and by making the believer active in 
using the means of his own sanctification. Upon 
this plan, the people of God become much better 
acquainted with the evil of sin, than if they were 
saved from it at once. And by their various 
struggles with indwelling sin, they learn more 
highly to value the pardoning and renewing grace 
of God. They have, in the course of their pilgrim- 
age much experience of the mercy and faithfulness 
of God, for it is by his strength they maintain their 
ground, and gain the victory over sin. Though, 
while in this world, none are perfectly free from 
the pollutions of sin ; yet the work which grace 
begins here, will be carried on to perfection ; and 
before the redeemed soul enters heaven, it will be 

10 



74 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

completely purified from all sin ; and will be pre- 
sented without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. 
This perfection of holiness, we believe, is attained 
at death ; not that the separation of the soul from 
the body produces that effect, as some seem to sup- 
pose, but that is the time when the Spirit of God 
completes the work of sanctification. 

Christ will not only save the soul from sin, 
but the body also from that death which is the ef- 
fect of sin. Salvation will not be complete until 
the resurrection of the body. Let us then rejoice 
that a Saviour has been born, that his name is 
Jesus, and that he will save his people from their 
sins. This name is precious to the believer. It is 
like ointment poured forth, a sweet odour which 
refreshes the fainting heart — a reviving cordial, 
which raises our courage, and adds new strength to 
our efforts. 

Let us be thankful, that the salvation which 
Jesus accomplishes is a salvation from sin — a com- 
plete deliverance, not only from its curse, but from 
its defilement. Now we are conscious of much sin 
within us, so that we are often forced to cry out, 
" O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me 
from the body of this death ! But thanks be to 
God who giveth us the victory." The time is ap- 
proaching, believer, when you will be surprised 
to find that you are free from sin, saved, eternally 
saved from sin ! 

INFERENCES. 

1. If there is a name given by which sinners 
may be saved, and if this is the only name; if the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 75 

knowledge of this name is necessary to salvation, 
then it is exceedingly important that this name 
with its divine import and saving power should be 
made known to all the world. For this end was 
the Gospel ministry instituted : and all who seek 
the ministry now, from right motives, have this as 
their main object, to make known the name of 
Jesus. 

2. But the mere hearing of this name, and ob- 
taining a historical knowledge of the life and death, 
resurrection and ascension and glorious exaltation of 
Jesus, is not sufficient for salvation. " Whosoever 
calleth on this name shall be saved," i. e. whoso- 
ever believeth with the heart and confesseth with 
the mouth, that Jesus is the Christ — the Messiah, 
the Son of God, shall be saved. We must en- 
deavour to bring men to repentance toward God, 
and to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

3. They who would bring others to believe in 
Jesus, ought to be true believers themselves, as 
saith the apostle, or rather the psalmist, " I believ- 
ed, therefore have I spoken. We also believe, and 
therefore speak." One of the greatest dangers of 
the Church is an unconverted ministry. If the 
blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch. 



SEKMON VI. 



THE INCARNATION. 



And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly 
host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on 
earth, peace, good will to men. — Luke ii. 13, 14. 

There are two memorable occasions, in time past, 
on which the angels are represented as joining in 
chorus to praise God in relation to our world. The 
first was when the corner-stone of the fabric of the 
universe was laid, and its foundations were fastened. 
Then " the morning stars sang together, and all the 
sons of God shouted for joy." The other was at 
the birth of a Saviour ; which is referred to in our 
text. And we are informed by the sure word of 
prophecy, that at the overthrow of the spiritual 
Babylon, and at the marriage of the Lamb, there 
will be another grand chorus, when a voice coming 
out of the throne shall say, " Praise our God, all ye 
his servants, and all ye that fear him, both small 
and great." " And I heard," says John, " as it 
were the voice of a great multitude, and as the 
voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty 
thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God 
omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, 
76 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 77 

and give honour to him, for the marriage of the 
Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself 
ready." 

It is exceedingly gratifying to be introduced to 
some acquaintance with the celestial inhabitants, 
and to find that they are possessed of feelings very 
much like our own ; except, that they are exempt 
from all sin and imperfection. It cannot but be 
very interesting to know, that the angels have a 
kind and tender feeling towards the -children of 
God ; and that they are employed as guardians to 
watch over them, and as helpers to deliver them 
from evils which would otherwise overwhelm them. 
It is wisely ordered, that in their common ministry 
to the heirs of salvation, the angels act without be- 
ing seen, and render the most important services to 
the people of God, without their knowledge. For 
the visible presence of these holy beings would so 
overawe us, that we should through fear be unfitted 
for the common duties of life. For a long period, 
the visits of angels had scarcely been known in the 
Church ; but when the Son of God was about to be 
manifested, the angel of the Lord appeared, first, to 
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, when he 
was wide awake, ministering in the temple, and 
afterwards to Mary, and to Joseph, her espoused 
husband. But on the memorable night of the birth 
of Christ, it pleased God to send his angel, proba- 
bly Gabriel, to announce the joyful event, to a com- 
pany of shepherds, who were remaining in the 
fields near Bethlehem, with their flocks, by night. 
" Suddenly, the angel of the Lord came upon them, 
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, 



78 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

and they were sore afraid." It is not in human 
nature to look on the face of an angel and not be 
afraid. Conscious guilt abashes us in the presence 
of beings so holy and so far superior to us. But 
these benevolent messengers of God when they ap- 
pear, do commonly, in the kindest and gentlest 
manner, allay the fears of those to whom they are 
sent. In this case, the angel said to the frightened 
shepherds, " Fear not, for behold I bring unto you 
glad tidings of great joy which shall be unto all 
people. For unto you is born, this day, in the city 
of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. 
And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the 
babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a 
manger." Though but one angel appeared at first, 
to the shepherds, yet he was not alone. This 
was not an event to be made known by a solitary 
messenger : it was one which commanded the at- 
tention and interested the feelings of all the inhabi- 
tants of heaven ; and they were filled with gladness 
at the prospect of such a mighty Deliverer appear- 
ing among men. Now " suddenly there was with 
the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, prais- 
ing God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, 
peace on earth, and good will to men." 

The first thing in this divine anthem which de- 
mands our attention is, the disposition manifested 
by these celestial beings. The sentiments of their 
song are precisely such as we should expect from 
holy angels : and though the words sung by them, 
in concert, were few, yet they contain a complete 
expression of a disposition perfectly holy. They 
first ascribe all glory to God. This, undoubtedly, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 79 

is the very essence of a heavenly temper. What- 
ever tends to the glory of God, will be delightful 
to the feelings of holy angels. To promote this 
object, they are ready for every service which may 
be required of them ; and whether it be of an ex- 
alted nature, or an humble ministry to sinful men, 
they are equally prompt in their obedience ; for the 
love of God is the predominant and absorbing pas- 
sion of their minds. But where there exists su- 
preme love to God, there will be found benevolence 
to his creatures. The angels rejoice in the birth 
of a Saviour, because this will restore peace to the 
earth. The existence of war among the offspring 
of the same parents, and partakers of the same na- 
ture, is itself an awful evidence, that ours is a fallen 
race. The number of men destroyed in war can- 
not be calculated ; and much of the time and wealth 
of nations is expended in preparing for and carry- 
ing on this most inhuman employment. But the 
angels considered the birth of a Saviour as connect- 
ed with permanent and ultimate peace. Let the 
kingdom of Christ be once fully established in the 
world, and wars will cease, every where : for 
whence come wars and fightings? come they 
not of men's lusts ? The spirit of the Gospel is 
peace — the tendency of the Gospel is to lead men 
to convert their swords into ploughshares, and 
their spears into pruning hooks. The heathen had 
in their pantheon, gods who delighted in war ; but 
our King is the Prince of peace, and the holy 
angels rejoice in the prospect of peace on earth. 
And they cherish a hearty good will to men ; and 
because the Gospel breathes such a temper, they 



80 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

rejoiced at its introduction, and now daily rejoice 
at the conversion of every soul, rescued from the 
guilt and defilement of sin, and from the dominion 
of Satan. " There is joy in the presence of the 
angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth." 

We see here, what the temper of heaven is, and 
what we pray for, when we say, " thy will be done 
in earth as it is in heaven. ' ' The spirit manifested by 
this great multitude of angels, and which pervades 
and actuates the whole innumerable company of 
angels, is the very spirit which should be predomi- 
nant among men. They should all rejoice in the 
glory of God, and should breathe peace and good 
will to men. What a blessed change will it be, 
when all men, or the most of men, shall be actuated 
by this spirit ! Perhaps we cannot spend our time 
better, than by contemplating the connection be- 
tween the birth of a Saviour, and the glory of God, 
and also the happiness of men. 

God is glorified by every thing which makes his 
glorious attributes more fully known. As he is 
absolutely and infinitely perfect, nothing can be 
added to his essential perfection ; but by means of 
his creatures, his attributes may be exhibited ; and 
so far as this is done, God is said to be glorified. 
And reason and Scripture unite in teaching, that 
this is the object at which God aims in all his 
works and dispensations. There can be no higher 
or nobler object. And rational creatures should 
make this the supreme object of pursuit also, and 
should glorify God in every way possible, and with 
all their powers. How do the heavens declare the 
glory of God? evidently by showing forth his 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 81 

power, wisdom and goodness. Thus also the earth 
is said to be full of the glory of God, because his 
attributes, already mentioned, are conspicuously 
displayed in every animal and in every vegetable ; 
in the productions of the earth, in the clouds, the 
rain, the sea, the vines, the fountains of water, in 
the light, the air, the vicissitude of day and night, 
in the varying seasons, in seed time, and harvest — 
in fact, every thing upon earth furnishes evidence 
of the wisdom and goodness of the Creator. But in 
the Gospel, God has given a richer and fuller dis- 
play of his attributes, than in the creation. Here 
his wisdom is very conspicuous, in the incarnation. 
The child that was now born, was not a common 
child — was not a mere human being, but though a 
perfect man, was the Son of God. In this birth 
"the Word was made flesh;" "God was made 
manifest in the flesh." Here we have what may 
be called the depths of divine wisdom ; — Deity uni- 
ted in personal subsistence with humanity ; so that, 
the same who is the Son of God, is also the son of 
man — God-man ; but still so united, that the per- 
fections of deity are not communicated to the hu- 
man soul, nor the properties of the human soul 
transferred to the divine nature. By this wise and 
wonderful constitution of the person of Christ, a 
foundation is laid for the salvation of sinners, in 
consistency with the truth and justice of God. 
Many suppose, that God can save the sinner by a 
mere act of sovereign power. As to mere power, 
he could, but where would be his justice ? Where 
would be the honour of his law ? To save sinners 
without an atonement, would be giving such an 

11 



82 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

exhibition of his character, as would encourage his 
creatures to sin ; or at least, remove all terror from 
the prospect of doing evil. His opposition to sin 
would not, in that case, be manifest ; and so the 
holiness of his character would be obscured. 
The difficult problem to be solved was, how God 
could be just, and yet justify the ungodly. It is 
only by a person constituted as that of Jesus Christ 
is, that justice and mercy can be reconciled in the 
salvation of a sinner. That which is requisite is to 
satisfy the law and justice of God. Supposing the 
Ruler of the universe willing to accept of a substi- 
tute — a thing which God has made known in the 
revelation which he has given — here is one perfect- 
ly qualified to do and suffer all that is requisite for 
the honour of God, and for the salvation of the sin- 
ner. Though wisdom is gloriously illustrated in 
the incarnation ; love and mercy are not less con- 
spicuous. Indeed, we must consider love as the 
first mover in this stupendous plan of salvation. 
Wisdom and power are exerted to open a way 
in which divine mercy may have a vent. Mercy 
cannot be exercised at the expense of justice. It is 
necessary, therefore, that the plan contain a provi- 
sion for the complete satisfaction of justice. That 
which would have been pronounced impossible by 
any creature, however exalted, has been accom- 
plished by the wisdom of God. " O the depth of 
the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of 
God !" But, as was intimated, the whole contriv- 
ance was to make a way for the exercise of love 
and mercy. In the birth of a Saviour, we have the 
brightest manifestation of the free love of God, of 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. S3 

which we can possibly conceive. " God so loved 
the world as to give his only begotten Son that 
whosoever belie veth in him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life." " Herein is love, not that 
we loved God, but that he loved us." "Behold 
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed up- 
on us, that we should be called the sons of God." 
" God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love 
wherewith he loved us." "As Christ also hath 
loved us and given himself for us." " That ye may 
be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the 
breadth and length and depth and height, and to 
know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge." 
" Greater love hath no man than this, that a man 
lay down his life for his friends. But God commend- 
eth his love to us, in that while we were yet ene- 
mies, Christ died for us." 

That justice is an essential attribute of God rea- 
son teaches ; and the same is prominently held forth 
in the Sacred Scriptures. Even in those passages 
where he reveals his name, as "the Lord, the Lord 
God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, keeping 
mercy for thousands," it is declared, " that he will 
in no wise clear the guilty." It is unnecessary 
further to explain how this attribute is gloriously 
illustrated in the advent of Christ and the plan of 
salvation : for we have seen already, that the great 
obstacle which stood in the way of the sinner's sal- 
vation, was the inexorable demands of justice, which 
could not be set aside without satisfaction. And it 
has already been shown, that the wisdom of the 
plan consisted in its being so contrived as fully to 
satisfy the claims of justice, by satisfying the law, 



84 PRACTICAL SERMONS 

by the mediation of a competent substitute, or sure- 
ty. And that this is not an imaginary device, of 
man's invention, but God's revealed scheme of 
mercy, will be evident from the citation of a few 
passages of Scripture. " For he who knew no sin 
was made sin for us, that we might be made the right- 
eousness of God in him." " For what the law 
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, 
God sending forth his Son, for sin — condemned sin 
in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might 
be fulfilled in us." " But when the fulness of time 
was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a wo- 
man, made under the law, to redeem them that 
were under the law." " For it is written, Cursed 
is every one that continueth not in all things writ- 
ten in the book of the law to do them." " Christ 
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being 
made a curse for us." " As by the disobedience 
of one many were made sinners, so by the obedi- 
ence of one shall many be made righteous." 

The truth and faithfulness of God are also ren- 
dered most manifest by the birth of a Saviour. For 
thousands of years, prediction after prediction had 
been given, as proofs to support the faith of the 
people of God, that a Messiah, a Prophet, a Priest, 
like unto Melchisedek, and a King on mount Zion, 
should be revealed. The time of his arrival had 
been specified, in several remarkable prophecies, 
and the fulness of time was come. According to 
every human prospect, indeed, there seemed little 
probability of the exact fulfilment of those predic- 
tions. The Jewish nation had fallen under the 
Roman yoke, and the family of David were scatter- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 85 

t 

ed and impoverished. But God is at no loss to ac- 
complish his purposes, and fulfil his own predic- 
tions. When Israel was in Egypt, in bondage, the 
time of the promise drew nigh, but what appear 
ance of a fulfilment ? Yet on the very day on which 
the four hundred and thirty years of afflictions pre- 
dicted to Abraham, were expired, on that very day, 
the whole nation marched out of the land of their 
bondage. So when Daniel's seventy weeks were 
coming to an end, the Son of David is born. A holy 
virgin of the family and lineage of David, accom- 
panied by her espoused husband, is by the Providence 
of God, brought from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And 
see how God overrules the hearts of kings to accom- 
plish his purposes. Augustus Caesar must make a 
decree requiring every family to repair to its own 
city, in order to be registered. And here Joseph 
and Mary, in their deep poverty, are found obeying 
the imperial edict ; and thus, God's word was ful- 
filled in regard to Bethlehem. "But thou, Bethle- 
hem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thou- 
sands of Judah ; yet out of thee shall He come forth 
unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel." But the 
prophecies not only designated the Messiah by the 
place of his birth and his descent from the family 
of David, but as one who was to be born of a virgin. 
"Behold," says Isaiah, "a virgin shall conceive 
and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." 
Such a thing as this was never known from the 
foundation of the world ; but it was literally fulfill- 
ed in the case of our Saviour. The evangelist 
Matthew informs us, " that the birth of Christ was 
on this wise. When as his mother Mary was es- 



86 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

poused to Joseph, before they came together, she 
was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then 
Joseph her husband being a just man, and not will- 
ing to make her a public example, was minded to put 
her away privily. But while he thought on these 
things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto 
him in a dream, saying, " Joseph, thou son of Da- 
vid, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for 
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call 
his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from 
their sins. Now all this was done that it might be 
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 
Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring 
forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, 
which being interpreted, is, God with us." Thus 
God was glorified by the birth of this child, because 
by this event, the truth and faithfulness of God 
were clearly manifested. That the birth of Christ 
was indicative of good will to men needs no further 
proof, for we have shown that the origin of the 
whole plan of salvation was love, and good will is 
only another name for love. If God loved our 
world, it cannot be disputed that he exercised good 
will toward men. And that the tendency of the 
gospel is to bring about universal peace among men, 
was stated in the beginning of our discourse ; but 
it may be proper and consistent with Scripture 
usage to give a more extended meaning to the word 
peace. This is a term, which when used by Christ 
and his apostles, is rich in import. It is one of 
those words which are commonly used in benedic- 
tions. As when Jesus says, " My peace I leave 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 67 

with you, my peace I give unto you." " These 
things have I spoken unto you that ye might have 
peace." " The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, 
peace." So Paul's usual salutation runs, " Grace 
be unto you and peace from God our Father and 
from our Lord Jesus Christ." And he speaks of 
" the peace of God which passeth all understand- 
ing." Taking this word in the most comprehen- 
sive sense, it will include three important blessings. 
First, peace with God; in order to which, his 
wrath must be appeased by the blood of Christ. 
This is nothing else than that perfect reconciliation 
which is spoken of in Scripture. It is the result 
of our pardon and justification. "Being justified 
by faith we have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ." Peace with God also includes the 
slaying of the natural enmity of the human heart, 
and filling it with love. The second blessing in- 
cluded under this word is, peace of conscience, and 
tranquillity and harmony in the exercise of the de- 
sires and affections of the mind. Sin has produced 
direful disorder in the exercise of the human 
powers. Grace restores peace and harmony ; and 
the conscience of the sinner, though it may sleep, 
though it may be seared, yet never enjoys a solid 
peace, until sprinkled with the blood of atonement. 
This is the only balm which can remove the pain 
of a wounded spirit. The third blessing is peace 
with our fellow men. Christians must, from the 
nature of the doctrines which tney believe, and 
from the dispositions with which they are inspired, 
be men of peace. Their rule is, as far as in them 
lies, to live peaceably with all men. And they are 



88 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

ever found to be peace-makers. Nothing more is 
necessary to produce universal peace, than the 
general prevalence of the gospel. 

We may bring this discourse to a close by a few 
reflections : 

1. It is delightful to the pious mind to know, 
that although there are so few in this world who 
engage sincerely in the worship of their Creator ; 
and although by most his authority is despised, and 
his law trodden under foot; yet there is a world, 
peopled by an innumerable company of beings far 
more exalted than man, where all, without excep- 
tion, esteem it their highest honour and greatest 
felicity to be constantly employed in the high 
praises of God, and in executing his commands. 
It is probable, that while multitudes are employed 
in ascribing praise and glory to God, others are 
sent as messengers to declare the will of God, and 
as ministering servants, to minister unto, and exer- 
cise a guardianship over, the people of God, and 
that, in both these services, they take their turns ; 
so that all enjoy the high privilege of joining in the 
grand concert of praise around the throne ; and all 
in their turn are required to execute the divine will 
as angels or messengers. 

2. How pleasing is the thought that these celestial 
beings are lovers of men, and take a lively interest 
in all our concerns ; especially, that they are deeply 
interested in all that relates to the salvation of God's 
elect, and cheerfully condescend to attend on such 
to guard them from evil, and to help them in ways 
unknown to us. 

3. But the service which angels can render to us 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 89 

is small, compared with the work of redemption 
wrought by the Son of God. What measure can 
be assigned to the gratitude due for the birth of a 
Saviour ? And although this glorious event occur- 
red above eighteen centuries since ; yet its import- 
ance is not in the least diminished. The blessed 
effects of the incarnation are as great now. as they 
ever were. Christ, who was born in Bethlehem, is 
as mighty to save now, as when he died : his pre- 
cious blood shall never lose its power. And we 
may have as free access to the Redeemer now, as 
his immediate disciples had. Faith does not require 
a visible Saviour for its object; but the blessing is 
rather on those who have not seen, and yet believed. 

4. Let us endeavour to imbibe the Spirit which 
animated this multitude of the heavenly host, and 
make it our constant aim to give glory to God in 
the highest, to seek the peace of the world, and to 
exercise good- will to men. Let us remember, that 
we are not our own, but bought with a price, and 
that we should, therefore, glorify God with our 
bodies and spirits, which are his. Whether we eat 
or drink, or whatever we do, we should glorify God ; 
and should let our light so shine, that others seeing 
our good works, should be led to glorify our Father 
in heaven. 

Let us remember, that time is short; that our 
opportunities of glorifying God in this world will 
soon be past. Work then while it is called to- 
day, for the night cometh on apace when no man 
can work. 

5. The lively remembrance of the Saviour's birth 
should not be confined to any certain day in the 

12 



90 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

year, but should call forth our gratitude and praise, 
every day. We read nothing in the New Testa- 
ment of setting apart one particular day for the 
celebration of this great event. The minds of the 
apostles and primitive disciples, were so imbued 
with the spirit of the gospel, that they appear to 
have disregarded those external circumstances and 
associations, which have since so greatly occupied 
the thoughts of men. We never find the apostles, 
when at Jerusalem, visiting holy places, or seeking 
after relics. No allusion to any such thing is found 
in the pages of the New Testament. And yet, if 
we had been informed of the precise time of our 
Saviour's birth, there would be no harm in paying 
attention to this anniversary, without superstition. 
But the day of the year in which Christ was born, 
is utterly uncertain ; and never can be ascertained 
without divine revelation. 



SERMON VII. 



CHRIST'S GIFT OF HIMSELF FOR OUR REDEMPTION. 



Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity.— 
Titus ii. 14. 



That Jesus Christ is the person here spoken of, is 
perfectly evident : but what the true character of 
Jesus Christ is, is a point disputed, and one of 
unspeakable importance. No greater difference 
of opinion can exist, than whether our Saviour is a 
mere man, or the mighty God. As we embrace 
the one or the other of these opinions, our whole 
system of doctrines will be modified. Accordingly, 
it is found, that all who deny the deity of Christ, 
reject all the fundamental truths of the Christian 
religion. The divinity of Christ being a funda- 
mental doctrine, we find the proofs of it every where 
scattered through the Scriptures. 

In the context we have a proof of the doctrine of 
the most convincing kind. In the verse preceding 
our text, the apostle Paul, under the inspiration 
of the Spirit, says, " Looking for that blessed hope, 
and the glorious appearing of the great God, and 
our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for 
us," &c. Now, the point to be determined is, 

91 



92 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

whether by the terms "the great God and our Saviour 
Jesus Christ," two persons are intended or only one. 
If the former, then this text furnishes no evidence 
of our doctrine ; but if both appellations belong to 
one person, then the doctrine of Christ's supreme 
Deity is taught in the very strongest terms. In 
our version, there exists some ambiguity, which 
does not appear in the original ; for according to the 
established rules of construction in the Greek 
tongue, where two nouns are connected by a copu- 
lative, and the first has the article prefixed, and the 
other is without it, both must be referred to the 
same person or thing. That is the fact in this 
case. Therefore, the Saviour, Jesus Christ, is the 
great God. Ambiguity would be removed and the 
true meaning given, if for "and" we substitute 
"even." Then it will read, "the great God even 
our Saviour Jesus Christ." 

And the same doctrine seems to be clearly indi- 
cated by comparing the third and fourth verses of 
the third chapter of this epistle; for in the former, 
God is called our Saviour, and in the latter, " the 
Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour," is the form of 
expression. We can hardly avoid the conclusion, 
that in both verses, the same person is called Saviour. 
Moreover, the word appearing is never used in 
reference to the Father, whom no man hath seen or 
can see, but constantly in relation to the second 
Person, who was manifest in the flesh. 

Having ascertained the character of the person 
spoken of in our text, we are prepared to consider 
the gift which he is said to have made, and the end 
which he had in view in making it: "Who gave 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 93 

himself for us, that he might redeem us from all 
iniquity." 

The value of a gift may be estimated by several 
considerations, to which your attention is earnestly 
requested. 

1. From the dignity of the person by whom it is 
bestowed. A ring or medal from a king or queen, 
or from some other royal personage, is appreciated, 
not so much by the intrinsic value of the gift itself, 
as by the condescension manifested by an exalted 
personage towards one in an inferior condition. 
But what is the disparity between a king and the 
meanest of his subjects, compared with that which 
exists between the infinite God and the greatest of 
his creatures ? That this august Being should with 
any favour regard such creatures as sinners of the 
human race, is indeed wonderful. As sings the 
royal Psalmist, "When I consider thy heavens, the 
work of thy fingers ; the moon and the stars which 
thou hast ordained ; what is man, that thou art mind- 
ful of him ? and the son of man, that thou visitest 
him?" A gift from such a Being to such an 
unworthy creature, deserves to be appreciated very 
highly. 

2. Another consideration proper to be taken into 
view, in estimating the value of a gift is, the sacri- 
fice at which it is made; or what it costs the donor. 
God gave us existence by a single act of his will, 
by the mere word of his power, and bestows upon 
us the bounties of his providence, without any 
sacrifice; for giving does not impoverish him. But 
in man's redemption it was necessary that God 
should give his own Son. It is written, that " He 



94 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us 
all." And of the Son it is said, " He loved us, and 
gave himself for us, an offering and a sweet smelling 
sacrifice unto God." No man can give a greater 
gift than his own life. And this is a gift scarcely 
to be expected from men. " Scarcely for a right- 
eous man will one die." But death may be 
endured in very different circumstances. Some- 
times it is honourable, and attended with inconsid- 
erable pain ; but the death of Christ was both igno- 
minious and excruciating. He died as a criminal. 
His death was accursed. He suffered wit]i the vilest 
malefactors, that the impression migrit be made on 
the public mind, that he was of the same character. 
A seditious murderer was preferred before him. He 
died on the cross, a kind of punishment inflicted 
on none but slaves and the vilest malefactors. The 
sufferings of the Son of God were protracted through 
many hours, and were endured under cruel mockery 
from men, and under the frowns of the Almighty 
Father. Indeed, his whole life was a kind of 
extended martyrdom, for from the beginning, " He 
was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." 

3. Next, let us endeavour to estimate the value 
of the gift itself. The text says, " He gave himself 
for us." This was the greatest gift which could 
possibly be made : heaven itself could furnish 
nothing more valuable than the Son of God. And 
a second gift equal to it could not be made. It is 
seldom that men in bestowing gifts, are willing to 
give themselves. This is not a theme for declama- 
tion; but rather for devout and silent wonder. 
Nothing more astonishing can possibly be conceived, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 95 

than that the prince of life should consent to die 
for sinners. Angels must have been astounded at 
the mysterious spectacle. The sun refused to look 
upon it, and withdrew his rays for several hours at 
mid-day. The earth trembled, and the rocks were 
rent, and the veil of the temple, which concealed 
the most holy place, was rent in twain from the top 
to the bottom ; and the place which for ages had 
been too sacred for the eyes of men, was now 
exposed to the gaze of all. What Christ endured 
in giving himself for us, no tongue can tell, nor 
heart conceive. 

4. But after all, that which chiefly enhances the 
value of a gift is the motive which impelled the 
donor to bestow it. 

Now, that motive which above every other, stamps 
a value on a gift, is love. Love may be truly said 
to be the most excellent thing in the universe. It 
is that which gives worth to every thing else. The 
love of rational creatures toward others is the most 
valuable thing which they have it in their power to 
bestow. And the richest possession which any 
creature is capable of receiving, is the love of God. 
As God is possessed of infinite excellence, he must 
be a God of love. God loves all his obedient 
creatures, and his goodness, which is but another 
name for his love, renders them happy, according 
to their respective capacities. Such love as this is 
continually manifested in all the laws by which the 
natural world is governed, and particularly by the 
constitutions of all sensitive beings, and the pro- 
vision which is made for their comfort. But in the 
gospel we have a new view of this attribute of the 



96 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

divine nature ; it is the love of God to sinners, 
and the wonderful provision for their redemption. 
" God so loved the world, that he gave his only- 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." 

There is something inexplicable in this whole 
subject. Among men there must be something 
amiable in the object beloved; but God fixed his 
love on sinners, in whom there was no good thing. 
And it could not be merely because they were 
creatures, for then sinning angels would have been 
loved as well as men and before them; but they 
were not. And the same mystery hangs over 
another part of divine revelation. It is that the 
love of God is not exercised indiscriminately toward 
all the human race, but is specially directed to a 
chosen people, who by nature are no better than 
others. Much goodness, in the dispensations of 
Providence, is manifested to the whole human race ; 
but the unspeakable gift of which we have been 
treating, is intended for the redemption of the elect ; 
on whose behalf the Father and the Son, with the 
concurrence of the Holy Spirit, entered into a 
covenant of peace : which covenant is the foundation 
of the gospel, with all its privileges and ordinances. 
But if it be inquired, what induced the adorable 
Trinity to enter into such an engagement, and to 
devise a plan of redemption for the recovery of the 
chosen race, no other answer can be given, than 
that it was love, unparalleled, incomprehensible 
love ! This was the rich and deep fountain from 
which all spiritual saving blessings flow: "Who 
loved us, and gave himself for us :" " Not that we 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 97 

loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son 
to be the propitiation for our sins." The wonder- 
ful and mysterious nature of this subject should not 
prevent our frequent meditation on it; nor does its 
incomprehensible nature hinder, but rather promote 
our adoration of the Triune Jehovah. The human 
mind is constituted by the Creator, so as to experi- 
ence a sublime delight in the contemplation of an 
infinite object. That which we can clearly compre- 
hend, must appear too small to be an object of 
worship and adoration. The soul is not satisfied 
with finite things, it aspires to something higher 
and nobler. From this we may infer, that the soul 
of man was formed for the adoration of an infinite 
Being. 

There is a delightful passage in Paul's epistle to 
the Ephesians on the incomprehensible nature of 
the love of Christ. " That he would grant you, 
according to the riches of his glory, to be strength- 
ened with might by his Spirit; that Christ may 
dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted 
and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend 
with all saints, what is the breadth and length, and 
depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, 
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled 
with the fulness of God." Although the pious soul 
ardently desires to comprehend this love, yet as it 
must for ever " pass knowledge," it would per- 
haps have been better in our version, to say, " that 
ye may be able to apprehend ;" for the original will 
bear this translation, and it would remove the 
appearance of contradiction. 

5. The excellency of this gift will also be mani- 

13 



98 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

fest from trie benefit which accompanies it. Man 
was placed in a very necessitous condition. He 
had fallen into a state of sin and misery, from which 
he could not deliver himself; nor was it in the 
power of any creature to afford him any effectual 
relief. He was bound by a holy law to suffer a 
dreadful penalty, which could not be set aside, 
unless an adequate atonement should be made. 
And even if this penalty were removed, he was 
rendered incapable of the enjoyment of true happi- 
ness, by reason of the inherent disorder of his 
nature; sin having infected all the faculties of his 
soul, so that nothing truly good is found in any of 
the children of Adam, in their natural state. 

Men are considered in Holy Scripture, as in 
bondage, under the slavery of sin, and subject to 
the tyranny of Satan. From this state of thraldom, 
they can be delivered only by an almighty Redeemer. 
But power alone is not adequate to the work of 
redemption. A price — a ransom sufficient to satis- 
fy divine justice must be paid. Silver and gold, 
and all earthly treasures avail nothing in the 
redemption of the soul. Blood must be shed, and 
life sacrificed. But no blood of lambs and bullocks 
can answer the purpose; such blood was shed in 
profusion for many ages, but could not take away 
the guilt of one sin. It answered to represent, 
typically, and in lively figure, the atonement neces- 
sary, and which God had determined should be 
made. Neither would the blood of prophets and 
martyrs serve as an adequate atonement. The 
blood shed and the life given, must be divine. But 
how can this be ? The eternal Son of God offers 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 99 

himself to be the Redeemer, and to pay the price 
required. " Lo, I come," says he, " in the volume 
of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, 
God : by which will we are sanctified, through the 
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." 
11 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them 
that are sanctified." 

" Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." He 
was named Jesus because he should save his 
people from their sins. " Who gave himself for us, 
that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and 
purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of 
good works." Salvation from sin is the great object 
of the sacrifice of the cross. " Without the shedding 
of blood there was no remission." The removal 
of the punishment of sin was the direct object of 
the sacrifice of Christ, when he gave himself for us, 
and made his soul an offering for sin. But deliver- 
ance from guilt is not the whole of redemption. 
Sin is not only a crime which exposes to punish- 
ment, but a disease which disorders the whole soul, 
and renders it unfit for the service of God, and 
entirely incapable of the enjoyment of the happi- 
ness of heaven. Redemption, therefore, delivers 
from the defilement of sin. This is effected by the 
operation of the Holy Spirit, in the regeneration 
and sanctification of the soul. This work of reno- 
vation is carried on by appropriate means, especially 
by the word, during the whole period of the Chris- 
tian's pilgrimage. And when the soul is separated 
from the body, and enters into the eternal world, 
we believe, that it will at once be delivered from 
all iniquity. Although this renovation was not the 



100 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

direct object of the atonement; yet this sacrifice 
was necessary to be made, before the Holy Spirit 
could be sent to renew the depraved nature of man. 
The relation in which the sinner stood to the law, 
as a justly condemned criminal, rendered it alto- 
gether unsuitable that he should be visited by this 
divine Agent. 

And it may properly be observed here, that as 
the work of sanctification is carried on by the truth, 
perceived by the enlightened soul; so, no view of 
truth is so important and efficacious in producing 
holy affections in the believer, as the sacrifice of 
Christ on the cross. It is the wisdom and power 
of God to every one that belie veth. 

When the chosen people of God are freed from 
all their sins, they will be presented by their 
Redeemer, before the presence of his Father, " with- 
out spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." For 
having begun this good work, he will not aban- 
don it, but will carry it on to the day of redemption. 
None of those for whom he gave himself can possi- 
bly fail of salvation. He is the surety of all such, 
and bears their names on his breast, as he stands 
pleading as their Intercessor; for "he is able to 
save to the uttermost all who come unto God by 
him; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for 
them." By giving himself unto death, he has paid 
a sufficient ransom for them, and has redeemed 
them from all iniquity, and purchased them as a 
peculiar people for himself. And none shall be 
able to pluck these redeemed ones from his hand. 
These are the sheep for whom the great Shepherd 
laid down his life. But, as the work of sanctifica- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 101 

tion is carried on by the use of means, the active 
diligence of the soul in the use of them is requisite. 
The Spirit works by setting the soul to work. We 
are commanded, therefore, " to work out our salva- 
tion with fear and trembling, because God worketh 
in us both to will and to do, of his own good plea- 
sure." Hence, the Scriptures are full of earnest 
exhortations to Christians, to let their light shine ; 
to cleanse themselves from all nlthiness of flesh and 
spirit; and to perfect holiness in the fear of God. 

The sanctification of his people is the great end 
of the whole mediatorial scheme. God was able, 
at once, by his power, to render them perfect in 
holiness. But it was consistent neither with his 
justice, his truth, nor his wisdom, to suffer sin to go 
unpunished. God is known to his intelligent 
creatures by his acts and dispensations. If he 
were to treat the transgressor as the obedient sub- 
ject, it might be inferred, that he entertained no 
abhorrence of iniquity. It was necessary, therefore, 
that the sinner should not be taken into favour, and 
renewed again in the image of God, unless a satis- 
factory atonement was made. For God must show 
himself just, while he justifies the sinner. 

This redemption from all iniquity, is not accom- 
plished suddenly, but for wise reasons, the redeemed 
soul, after its justification and regeneration, (which 
two benefits are contemporaneous,) is not taken to 
heaven at once, but left in this world, exposed to 
various temptations, and in a state of imperfection; 
so that no man can truly say, " I am free from all 
sin." The inbred corruptions of the heart are per- 
mitted to vex the Christian, and sometimes to over- 



102 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

come him. A perpetual conflict is kept up between 
the flesh and spirit; that is, between the renovated 
nature, and the remaining corruptions which are 
opposed to holiness. 

But this work, though imperfect in all during 
this life, yet is progressive. Believers die daily 
more and more unto sin, and live unto righteous- 
ness. Their growth in grace too, is connected with 
their own diligent efforts. By an increase of 
knowledge and of faith, they attain to much higher 
degrees of holiness, than they possessed at the time 
of their conversion. One reason of this part of the 
economy of salvation, is, that they who are redeemed 
from sin, may more thoroughly understand the 
great evil of sin, and the utter inability of man to 
extirpate it from his nature ; so that he is more and 
more convinced that his salvation is all of grace. 
And by being thus left to struggle with evil, he 
comes to know experimentally, the unchanging love 
and faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God. In 
heaven the gratitude of the saints will be greater, 
in consequence of their severe trials and temptations 
in their pilgrimage on earth. When they lay aside 
their clay tabernacles, and are admitted into the 
presence of their Saviour, they shall be free from 
all sin. This completion of the work of sanctifica- 
tion is not produced by death, as some seem to 
suppose, but by the same divine Agent, who com- 
menced the work. Then will the Saviour redeem 
his chosen people from all iniquity. 

This subject furnishes matter for many interest- 
ing reflections, a few of which shall now claim 
our attention. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 103 

1. How glorious is redeeming love and saving 
grace ! " God so loved the world, that he gave his 
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him, 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." How 
wonderful, that the great God our Saviour should 
give himself for us ! Angels may well be astonished, 
and stoop from their exalted thrones to contemplate 
this grace, so rich and so unsearchable ! And what 
renders this grace the more surprising is, that it 
passed by sinning angels — beings of a nobler 
nature than man's, and was freely extended to our 
inferior nature. For this discrimination, men have 
endeavoured to account; but their reasons are futile. 
It is one of the unsearchable things which are hid- 
den in the depths of the infinite mind of God. The 
same inscrutable nature belongs to the electing love 
of God, by which, while one is taken, another is 
left. " O the depth, both of the wisdom and 
knowledge of God ! his ways are past finding out." 
The only reason which he assigns for this discrimi- 
nation is, the "good pleasure of his will." " Even 
so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. 
He has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and 
whom he will he hardeneth." But in all this, 
God is perfectly just. He will punish no one who 
does not deserve it. And as a Sovereign, he has a 
perfect right to do what he will with his own. No 
sinner has any claim upon his grace, and if he leaves 
some to their own chosen ways, and renders to 
them, according to the fruit of their own doings, 
they have no reason for complaint. 

2. The work of redemption is God's most glori- 
ous work. Creation sprung up at the word of his 



104 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

power, but redemption required a sacrifice, the 
richest and greatest that could be made ; a sacrifice 
which no creature could offer; a ransom not of 
silver and gold, but of blood — of blood divine. God 
must become manifest in the flesh. The God-man 
must make atonement for sin by giving himself — 
by giving himself to death — to the accursed death 
of the cross ! what wonders cluster around the 
cross! God forbid, that we should glory, save in 
the cross of Christ. 

3. The redeemed of the Lord should be careful 
to carry out the Redeemer's holy purpose, by 
departing from all iniquity. God is holy, and they 
should be holy too. Christ came not to be the 
minister of sin. His name was called Jesus, 
because he saves his people from their sins. Until 
we are delivered from our sins, we are not saved. 
Vain, therefore, is the dream of the antinomian, that 
Christ has purchased for him a liberty of sinning ; 
or that he can be saved in his sins. For without 
holiness none shall see the Lord. " And the great 
God, the Saviour, gave himself for us, that he might 
redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself 
a peculiar people zealous of good works." 

4. As it is impossible for the redeemed to make 
any adequate return for such a glorious and inesti- 
mable gift, our gratitude should be fervent and con- 
stant. Gratitude is, therefore, the chief duty of 
redeemed souls. And this feeling should lead those 
w T ho have been redeemed at such a price, and by 
such a sacrifice, to express their sense of obligation 
in unceasing praises, and in acts of obedience to 
the will of God. The habitual outgoing of the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 105 

heart should be, " thanks be to God for his unspeak- 
able gift." We are exhorted evermore to give 
thanks; and surely there is no subject of thanks- 
giving comparable to redemption. And the song 
of praise for redeeming love, which is commenced 
in the church on earth, will not be terminated at 
death. No ! Then it will be raised to more perfect 
and elevated strains, when they shall be present 
with the Lord, and see him in his glory, and when 
they shall no more see him darkly as through a 
glass, but "face to face," " and shall know as they 
are known." When all the ransomed children of 
God, shall be gathered together from every region 
under heaven, and shall sit down in the kingdom 
of heaven, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and 
shall surround the throne of God and the Lamb, 
their song shall ever be, "To him who loved us, 

AND WASHED US FROM OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BLOOD." 



14 



SERMON VIII. 



THE NEW CREATION. 



For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor 
uncircumcision, but a new creature. — Gal. vi. 15. 



The first dispute which disturbed the peace of the 
Christian Church related to the point, whether 
converts from the Gentiles were under obligation 
to observe the ceremonies of the law of Moses. It 
was then assumed as an admitted principle, that 
the Jewish proselytes should continue to render 
obedience to this law, as before. The controversy, 
therefore, had relation only to such as were now 
initiated into the Christian Church from among the 
Gentiles. When proselytes had been received into 
the Jewish Church, it was always required that 
they should be circumcised, and also their children ; 
and these Judaizers, who troubled the primitive 
churches, believing that all the precepts of the 
ceremonial law were of perpetual obligation, insisted 
on the necessity of requiring obedience to this law 
from all Gentile converts. And not only so, but 
they taught that such observance was essential to 
salvation, and thus changed the very nature of the 
gospel, making salvation to depend on external 
106 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 1(T 

works. The Galatian churches, which had been 
gathered by the labours of Paul, were not only 
troubled with these false teachers, but had been 
seduced by them from the simplicity of the gospel ; 
and had adopted another system, which Paul 
denounces as subversive of the gospel, and anathe- 
matizes any one, even if he were an angel from 
heaven, who should have the audacity to preach a 
doctrine so opposite to the true gospel, which they 
had received from him, and which had been con- 
firmed among them by miracles, which, by the Holy 
Spirit, he had wrought among them. This lan- 
guage is very bold and striking, and equally applies 
to any other false doctrine which tends to the sub- 
version of the gospel. " But though we, or an 
angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto 
you, than that which we have preached, let him be 
accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, 
if any man preach any other doctrine than that 
ye have received, let him be accursed.'' 

But whilst Paul so severely denounced any 
attempt to introduce any other method of salvation, 
he was very tolerant in regard to a mere difference 
of opinion respecting the propriety of observing 
Jewish rites, which had been enjoined by divine 
authority, and which they as Jews had always been 
accustomed to observe. Indeed, he himself con- 
formed to these ceremonies, when it seemed neces- 
sary to obviate the prejudices of the Jews; and, in 
this, became all things to all men. The rule which 
he laid down for himself and inculcated on others, 
was, " Let every man be fully persuaded in his own 
mind," and not to censure or condemn a brother 



108 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

tor a different opinion or practice, in regard to these 
ceremonies. He, therefore, treats this difference as 
a matter of no real importance. Twice, in this 
epistle, he declares, that neither circumcision nor 
uncircumcision availed any thing; but turns the 
attention of the Galatian Christians to what was 
essential in religion; which, in the one case, he 
declares to be " faith working by love," and in the 
other, which is our text, " the new creature." The 
import of both passages is the same; for "faith 
working by love," is the acting of the new creature. 
Some would render this a new creation; but the 
meaning is the same ; for this new creation is the 
renewal of the soul itself, by which it becomes a 
new creature. 

Our object, in the sequel of this discourse, will 
be, 1. To take notice of some things which are 
implied in this doctrine of a new creation: 2. And 
then to point out some mistakes into which you 
may be liable to fall; and 3. Finally endeavour to 
describe some of the traits or lineaments of the 
renewed man. 

The human nature being the subject of this new 
creation, it is evident, that man must have been 
created at first, in a state of moral imperfection, or 
his nature must have deteriorated, since he was 
made, otherwise there could be no need of a new 
creation. The first supposition cannot be admitted 
without casting dishonour upon the character of 
God, as though he had produced an imperfect work. 
The alternative must, therefore, be received, namely, 
that man has fallen from that state of integrity in 
which he was originally created. And this is the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 109 

doctrine of Holy Scripture, from the beginning of 
Genesis to the end of Revelation. God created 
man " in his own image and after his own likeness," 
but all, both Jews and Gentiles have sinned, so 
that "there is none righteous, no, not one." What 
the prophet says, applies to the whole race, "The 
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately 
wicked." And what Paul says of himself, is equally 
true of every other man, " For I know, that in me, 
that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." 

1. The doctrine of " a new creation" implies that 
the departure of man from God, was not partial but 
total; for had it been the fact, that man's nature 
had undergone only some slight or partial deteriora- 
tion, there would not have been need of "anew 
creation." Paul, in another epistle, when speaking 
of this new creature, expresses the greatness of the 
change in very strong terms : " If any man, says he, 
be in Christ, he is a new creature ; old things are 
done away, behold, all things are become new." 
The greatness of the change is also evident from 
other metaphors employed to set it forth. It is 
called a " new birth," or being " born again." It is 
a resurrection from the dead: "And you hath he 
quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." 
And all experience goes to confirm the doctrine of 
Scripture respecting the total depravity and utter 
ruin of the human race, in consequence of the intro- 
duction of sin into our world. "By one man sin 
entered into the world, and death by sin ; so that 
death hath passed upon all men, because that all 
have sinned." Just as far as death reigns, so far 
does sin exist; for " death is the wages of sin." 



110 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

2. Another thing implied in the doctrine of a 
new creation is the necessity of a divine Agency in 
the change which man undergoes. Creation is a 
work which can be performed by no other but God. 
It is by the visible creation that we know that God 
exists. Man is no more capable of producing the 
new creation, than of creating a world. This must 
be evident to every mind. If, then, there is " a 
new creature," God only can be the author of this 
change. The apostle Paul confirms this dictate of 
reason, by an explicit and decisive testimony : " For 
God who commanded the light to shine out of 
darkness hath shined in our hearts, to give the 
light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the 
face of Jesus Christ." Again, " For we are his 
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good 
works." Accordingly, the new birth is ascribed to 
God alone. "Who are born, not of blood, nor of 
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 
God." The attempt to make man a co-operator 
with God in this work, is as absurd, as to suppose 
that the dust out of which Adam's body was formed 
co-operated with the power of God in its creation. 
In what conceivable way can a soul, dead in sin, 
co-operate in the production of spiritual life ? Talk 
not of the freedom of the will : the will, as much as 
any other faculty, is under the influence of depravity. 
If the will were capable of putting forth one right 
volition, one holy act, the new creation would be 
unnecessary; for life, in that case, would have an 
actual existence in the soul of man. Let it be 
remembered then, that. God is the author of the new 
creature. The efficiency in this work belongs 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. Ill 

entirely to him. There is no divided agency in 
the work; though means are appointed to be 
employed, on which it is proper, even for the unre- 
generate to attend. The efficiency of God in the 
new creation, no more excludes the use of appropri- 
ate means, than his efficiency in the natural world, 
where second causes are employed, while the effi- 
ciency is of God. 

II. In the second place, I am to guard you 
against some mistakes into which you are liable to 
fall, in relation to this work of almighty power. 

1. In the new creation, the substance of the soul 
is not changed. The soul of man, considered in 
its essence, needs no change. The essence of the 
soul is incapable of corruption. As the work of 
God, it is still " very good," and perfect in its kind. 
In time of the Reformation, some theologians taught, 
that the very substance of the soul was converted 
into sin ; but this gross error was promptly rejected 
by the wise and considerate. 

2. Though the new creation be a great change, 
yet is there no new faculty created. Man, before 
conversion and afterwards, possesses the same 
rational faculties, which belong to the constitution 
of human nature. If a new faculty were bestowed 
on man, in the new creation, he would then be of 
another species from what he was before. He would 
no longer be a mere man; but possessing a new 
faculty, would differ specifically from those who 
remain in a state of nature. 

3. Neither does this new creation give new 
strength to the faculties, which belong to human 
nature. The man of weak understanding is not, 



112 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

by this change, made to possess a strong mind ; the 
understanding, of a child is not at once made to 
possess the vigour of manhood. Persons constitu- 
tionally deficient in quickness of apprehension, in 
memory, or judgment, remain the same, as it relates 
to the vigour of their intellect, as before ; except 
that the rational powers, when freed from the mis- 
direction of evil motives, act more correctly. When 
the mind forms a relish for any particular subject, 
it manifests a power in understanding that subject, 
which is peculiar, and which it does not display 
on other subjects. Hence it is, that pious persons 
of weak understanding in other matters, often dis- 
cover much sagacity in religious matters. But this 
can readily be accounted for, without supposing 
that the natural faculties are enlarged or strength- 
ened, by regeneration. 

4. Again, many persons, when they hear of the 
greatness of this change, are led to infer, that its 
greatness must always be manifest to the conscious- 
ness of the person who is the subject of it. And 
hence, real Christians are induced to doubt of the 
reality of the change experienced by them. But 
though the change be truly great, as being a trans- 
ition from death to life; yet the first pulsations 
of real life may be so feeble, and the actings of the 
new creature so weak, that it may be, and often is, 
difficult to ascertain whether a new life has com- 
menced or not. Those who possess the scriptural 
characteristics of genuine piety, need not be dis- 
tressed and perplexed, as they often are, because 
they cannot determine the day and hour of their 
conversion. Very few can do this; and they who 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 113 

pretend to be so exact, are often mistaken. That 
which they experienced, at the time specified, may 
not have been a genuine exercise of new life, or, if 
it was, it may have been not the first actings of the 
new creature, but only a more lively and vigorous 
exercise of the spiritual nature, than any before 
experienced. It is not an easy thing for any man 
to ascertain the precise time of his being " created 
anew in Christ Jesus;" nor is it a matter of any 
importance. The great point is, do I possess this 
new nature? Have I now, habitually, the views, 
affections, and emotions, the desires and purposes, 
which are peculiar to the sons of God ? 

5.* One other mistake into which young converts 
are apt to fall in regard to conversion is, that when 
this great change is experienced, all sinful thoughts 
and feelings will be for ever banished, from the 
mind. They entertain the idea, that, so great a 
change must certainly cleanse the soul from all its 
defilement; and that no more trouble will be expe- 
rienced from the corruptions of the heart. Well, 
the first lively exercises of faith and love in the 
new convert, seem to favour this anticipation. But 
after a while, when the soul is involved in dark- 
ness, and the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and a 
distressing conflict is experienced, the Christian 
concludes, that all his fondest hopes were fallacious. 
" Surely," the perplexed soul is ready to say, "I 
never could have experienced the great change, or I 
should not be thus infested with evil thoughts, and 
inbred corruptions. Those that have been renewed 
have pure hearts, for faith works by love and purifies 

15 



114 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the heart. But alas! my heart is full of evil, 
Iniquities, which I supposed to be entirely subdued, 
show themselves anew; and I now see evils in my 
heart, which I never thought existed within me 
before. Surely, I have been awfully deceived in 
entertaining the persuasion that I had experienced 
the great change." Such are very commonly the 
feelings and complaints of real converts, after they 
have fairly entered into the field of conflict with 
the world, the flesh, and the devil. But let such 
learn to know, that we are here renewed but in 
part, and that the "old man" will struggle as long 
as any life of sin remains in the soul. Let them 
learn that this is a scene of conflict ; and that the 
root of sin is deep in the nature of man, and its 
ramifications extend through his whole constitution 
of mind and body; that the more the mind is 
enlightened, the more perspicacious does it become 
in discovering sin. It is comparable to the case of 
a person in a dark room, where he is surrounded 
by disgusting filth, but perceives it not. But let a 
ray of light into this dark room, and immediately 
the disgusting scene is apparent; and the clearer 
the light, the more distinctly are the odious objects 
by which he is surrounded, perceived. Hence it is, 
that those men, who have been most eminent for 
piety, have had the deepest and most humiliating 
conviction of their own sinfulness. 

III. I come now, agreeably to the plan proposed, 
to exhibit some of the traits of the new creature; 
and as there is in the language of our text an 
evident allusion to the creation of the world, it will 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 115 

be proper to bring distinctly into view, the analogy 
which is obvious between these two works of divine 
power, the old creation and the new. 

1. The first production of almighty power, in the 
first creation, was light. Before this, indeed, the 
rough materials of the universe existed, but the 
substance of our globe was then in a chaotic state. 
In the language of the inspired historian, " The 
earth was without form and void, and darkness was 
upon the face of the deep. And God said, Let there 
be light, and there was light." So, in the new 
creation, the first thing of which the rational soul, 
which is the subject of this work, is conscious, is 
a new view of spiritual objects. God, who at first 
commanded light to shine out of darkness, shines 
into the dark soul with a beam of pure light. 
"Once," says Paul to the Ephesians, " were ye 
darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord." And 
the effect of the gospel, as described in the commis- 
sion of this chosen vessel to the Gentiles was, " to 
turn them from darkness to light, and from the 
power of Satan unto God." He who is the subject 
of this change is said to be " renewed in knowledge 
after the image of Him that created him." A man 
brought up from infancy in a dark cave, might give 
his full assent to the existence of the sun, moon, 
and stars, and of the various visible objects on the 
earth ; but how different would be his ideas of these 
things, if even a feeble ray of light should reveal to 
him something of the real appearance of these 
objects ! Just so, the man who has heard, all his 
life, about divine things, has no just conception of 
them, until his mind is illumined by the Spirit of 



116 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

God. Then lie begins to see these objects in an 
entirely new light. Now he begins to " discern 
spiritual things." He beholds something of the 
glory of God, as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ. 
Now he begins to perceive that there is a beauty in 
holiness, which he never saw before. This beauty 
he sees in the holy law of God, which causes him 
to delight in it after the inner man. The gospel 
also appears glorious, as exhibiting the justice and 
mercy of God; and in the character and life of 
Christ, he beholds a loveliness, which charms him ; 
and perceiving the love of God to man, manifested 
by giving up unto the death of the cross, his only 
begotten Son, he feels himself drawn by the cords 
of love, so that Christ becomes to him the centre 
of his warmest affections ; — " the chief among ten 
thousands — One altogether lovely." And as sin 
is the opposite of holiness, its turpitude and odious- 
ness will be perceived by the same light which 
reveals the beauties of holiness. He now sees it to 
be the most abominable of all things. To the soul 
enlightened by the Spirit, not only do divine things 
wear an entirely different aspect from what they 
did before; but even natural objects, the visible 
heavens, and the earth appear clothed with new 
attributes. They are now viewed as the works of 
the great Creator, and as manifesting his wisdom, 
power, and goodness. To the new convert, the 
earth is full of the glory of the Lord. To the 
renewed soul, the Bible appears like a new book. 
The sacred page seems to be illuminated. The 
truths of the divine word, are now more precious 
than gold, and sweeter than honey. The preached 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 117 

gospel has acquired an interest before unknown; 
and now makes an impression on the renewed heart, 
which purifies, elevates, and comforts it. And as 
the people of God bear something of his image, they 
become the objects of sincere and tender love. 
Thus, in the new creation, there is to the soul 
created in Christ Jesus, "new heavens and a new 
earth." 

2. Before the Spirit of God operated on the dark 
abyss of matter in the first creation, every thing 
existed in a state of confusion and disorder ; but by 
the divine agency, every thing was made to assume 
its proper place, and a beautiful order and harmony 
were produced ; the light and air, the sea and dry 
land, found their proper situation. 

Analogous to this, is the moral condition of fallen 
man. His soul, endowed with noble faculties, and 
susceptible of various affections and emotions, has 
by the introduction of sin, been thrown into a state 
of complete disorder. The higher powers of the 
mind, reason and conscience, are dethroned, and 
the inferior passions and carnal appetites have 
assumed the reins ; and instead of harmony, there 
exists perpetual discord in the rational mind. The 
regulator of the whole machinery of human agency 
is wanting. Man was made to love his Creator 
supremely, but in his fallen state, this principle is 
wanting ; and its place has been usurped by self. 
Self is now the centre of all the affections and 
pursuits, so that the orderly and harmonious opera- 
tions of the mind are destroyed. But by the energy 
of divine power, a new state of things is experienced. 
God is again placed on the throne of the human 



118 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

heart, and "faith working by love" produces order, 
by subduing the selfish and earthly affections; and 
in proportion as these new principles acquire 
strength and prevail, the disorder of the mind is 
removed, and harmony restored. The renewed 
man is no longer a selfish, sensual, and sordid 
creature. He is now spiritual in his prevailing 
desires. His affections are set on things above, 
and not on things on the earth, and he strives to 
keep a conscience void of offence to God and man, 
by taking pains to have it truly enlightened as to 
the rule of duty, and by obeying its dictates uni- 
formly. The course which the renewed man pur- 
sues is approved by enlightened reason; and he 
endeavours more and more to bring all the thoughts 
and imaginations of his heart into obedience to the 
gospel of Christ. 

3. Another thing manifest in the first creation 
was the existence of life. At first, the mass of 
matter was not only dark and confused, but inani- 
mate. Even after the darkness was done away by 
the creation of light; and after the various sub- 
stances were separated and reduced to order ; and 
the air, and earth, and water, had found their 
respective places in creation, there was as yet no 
sign of life in any part of the creation. Life is of 
various kinds, but it is the noblest of all the crea- 
tures of God. How desolate would the world 
appear, with all its beauty and order, without 
living inhabitants ! It was to prepare a residence 
for beings possessed of life, and capable of enjoy- 
ment, that the material universe was brought into 
being. The vegetable creation furnishes the beau- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 119 

tiful drapery which renders the world charming and 
glorious. But the life of animals is far nobler. 
When the creation was completed, it was in every 
part, replete with living creatures. And man was 
made the lord of creation, possessing not only 
animal passions under the government of reason and 
conscience, but having the very image of his Crea- 
tor, delineated on his inmost soul. 

The body of man, as first created, will furnish a 
striking analogy. Though perfect in all its organs 
and material parts, it was without life, until God 
animated the artificial frame by breathing into it 
the breath of life. Then man, under the creating 
energy of the Almighty, became "a living soul." 
As the body of Adam, prior to the exertion of divine 
power, though organized, was but a dead thing ; so 
the soul before the new creation is destitute of life. 

Before his regeneration man possesses other kinds 
of life, but of spiritual life, he is utterly destitute. 
But when he is quickened by the Spirit of God, he 
experiences the emotions and desires of a new life. 
As a new born babe, he desires the sincere milk of 
the word, that he may grow thereby. He is now 
alive to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

And where there is life there is activity and 
enjo}^ment. The new creature is an animated, 
living creature, and manifests the existence of life 
by action. Out of the heart are the issues of life. 
There are many kinds of life in the creation of God. 
Even vegetables possess a wonderful kind of life; 
but they are unconscious, and unintelligent. Ani- 
mals possess a much higher kind of life, but in 
various degrees of excellence, according to the per- 



120 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

fection of their organization. Man, possessing an 
animal body, has many things in common with the 
inferior animals, as the bodily senses of seeing, 
hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. The appe- 
tites are also common to him with them ; and also 
the passions of anger, fear, and the natural affections 
of parents to their offspring. But man has a higher 
kind of life. He is endowed with reason and a 
moral faculty; and by these he is made capable of 
spiritual life. This he possessed in his original 
state, which is called " the image and likeness of 
God." In the new creation this highest kind of 
life, lost by the fall, is restored. The Christian is 
said to be "renewed after the image of God;" to be 
" renewed in knowledge after the image of him that 
created him." In both which passages, there is an 
evident allusion to the image of God in which man 
was created at first. "While destitute of this spirit- 
ual life, men are said to be dead, and in their 
regeneration, they are quickened or made alive. 
They now possess in their souls, the life of God, 
consisting in knowledge, in holy desires, affections, 
and purposes. The man who is, by the Spirit of 
God, thus vivified, though active before, now acts 
in a new manner. He acts from new principles. 
He sees spiritual objects in a new light. He has 
come, as it were, into a new world. His love and 
his hatred, his joys and his sorrows are changed ; 
they are now different from what they formerly 
were. 

As the natural life in man, and all other crea- 
tures, is kept up by suitable nutriment; so this 
new spiritual life needs to be fed, that it may be 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 121 

preserved and increased in strength; that it may 
grow up from the imbecillity of infancy, with which 
it commences, to the maturity and stature of a 
perfect man in Christ Jesus. And the same 
efficient power, and the same means are requisite 
for the preservation and increase of this principle 
of life, as for its implantation. It is for this purpose 
that the Spirit of God takes up his residence in the 
believer, enlightening, purifying, strengthening, 
and comforting the renewed soul. And as the 
word was the means of its receiving life ; so it is the 
means of its growth. It is the food by which the 
believer is nourished. Christ calls himself "the 
bread of life which came down from heaven," and 
it is in the word that Christ can now be found. 
There he is exhibited as our Mediator, our Prophet, 
Priest, and King. The sacraments are intended to 
confirm the promises of the word, and to render 
the truth more impressive on our feelings. This 
spiritual life, produced in the new creation, mani- 
fests itself in external acts of worship and thanks- 
giving towards God, and in unreserved and univer- 
sal obedience to his will. Here the new principle 
rinds its highest and noblest expression. Here the 
renewed heart sends forth its most ardent aspira- 
tions, and holiest affections ; and here, in the sanc- 
tuary, it enjoys in communion with God, its purest, 
sublimest happiness. For joy is an invariable 
result of the new creation. And as the sons of 
God shouted for joy at the creation of the world; 
so there is joy in the presence of the angels of God 
over one sinner that repenteth. 

This life, bestowed in the new creation, is not in 

16 



122 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

kind different from the life enjoyed in heaven : the 
difference is in degree. There the light is perfect, 
and the affections, purified from every impure 
mixture, will be exercised to the utmost degree of 
intensity. There will remain no sinful defect, 
although there will still be progress; for knowledge 
will increase; and perhaps the capacities of the 
soul may be indefinitely enlarged. One comfort- 
able circumstance respecting this new creature is, 
that he shall never die; that is, his spiritual life 
shall never be extinct. This certain continuance 
and perpetuity of the life of the believer, depends 
not on himself, but on the promises of God. He is 
able to keep him from falling, and his word is 
pledged, that he shall never perish. "He that 
believeth hath everlasting life. He shall never 
come into condemnation. He that keepeth my 
sayings, says Christ, shall never taste death." And 
Paul says, "Being confident of this very thing, 
that he who hath begun a good work in you, will 
perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. i. 
6.) Again, "For I am persuaded, that neither 
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor 
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor 
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be 
able to separate us from the love of God, which is 
in Christ Jesus, our Lord." 

REFLECTIONS. 

1. How greatly are they deceived who think that 
a mere external morality is a sufficient ground on 
which to build their hopes of eternal life. 

This subject, as explained, shows also the fatal 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 123 

mistake of all who rely on external forms of religion 
of whatever kind. All external services, where the 
affections of the heart are not engaged, are rejected 
by a holy, heart-searching God ; whose language to 
such is, " Who hath required this at your hands, 
to tread my courts ? This people draweth nigh to 
me with their lips, while their heart is far from 
me." Again, if in the case of every true Christian, 
there is " a new creation," then transient impres- 
sions and convictions, however deep, furnish no 
sufficient evidence of genuine piety. Many are 
like the seed on stony ground, which sprang up 
quickly, and promised well at first, but which, 
having no deep root, withered away as soon as the 
scorching rays of the sun fell upon it. Their faith 
was temporary, and they fell away in the time of 
temptation. 

The "new creature" is a permanent principle 
of holiness, which is, indeed, subject to various 
vicissitudes, but which never entirely faileth. This 
is a fire which many waters shall not be able to 
quench. 

Those who are created anew, by divine power, 
are said to be " created unto good works." The 
performance of good works is, therefore, a necessary 
evidence of renovation of heart. " Make the tree 
good, and the fruit good. A good tree cannot bring 
forth evil fruit." Men, professing repentance, 
were required by the Baptist, to bring forth "fruits 
meet for repentance." " Therefore, by their fruits 
shall ye know them." 

Let all those who are conscious that they are yet 
in their natural state, and have experienced no such 



124 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

change as that concerning which, we have been 
treating, consider the misery and the sinfulness of 
their condition. You, my unconverted friends, 
have been long accustomed to hear the gospel, and 
have enjoyed many precious privileges, of which 
the majority of our race are destitute; and yet, 
while others hearing the same sermons and enjoy- 
ing the same privileges have been savingly con- 
verted, and are now new creatures in Christ Jesus, 
you, alas ! have continued in your carelessness and 
sin; and if at times you have had serious impres- 
sions, you have suffered them to be erased from 
your minds; so that, in all probability a process of 
hardening has been going on, and you are now 
further from the kingdom of heaven, than years 
ago. The gospel is never without effect; when it 
fails to soften and change the stony heart, it hardens 
it ; just as the sun, while it softens the wax, hardens 
the clay. "For," says Paul, " we are unto God a 
sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and 
in them that perish. To the one, we are the savour 
of death unto death ; and to the other, of life unto 
life." When men have long hardened under the 
preaching of the gospel, it gives awful reason to 
fear, lest they are of the number of the reprobate 
But while we would desire such to take the alarm, 
we would be far from wishing to drive them to 
despair. We have no knowledge of the secret 
purposes of God ; and should not wish to pry into 
them. " Secret things belong unto God, but those 
which are revealepl, to us and to our children." 
The fountain of life flows freely, and all who will 
are welcome to come and take of the waters of life 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 125 

freely. And Jesus who cannot deceive has said, 
" Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast 
out." 

I would earnestly and affectionately warn the 
impenitent of the danger to which they are exposed. 
I would entreat them by the awful judgments of 
God which are impending over their heads, " to 
flee from the wrath to come." I would say, or 
rather God says, " Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye 
die." If the consideration of the terrors of the 
Almighty and his coining wrath, will not move you, 
then permit me to turn your attention to his love 
and mercy, his long-suffering and condescension. 
Let the goodness of God lead you to repentance. 
Resist not that love which caused the Saviour to 
bleed and die on the cross. Reflect on the loving 
kindness of God to yourselves. While others have 
been driven away in their wickedness, you have 
been spared, and while they are beyond the reach 
of mercy, you are here where God is entreating 
you to be reconciled. Seize the passing moment. 
Embrace the gracious offer. Lay hold of eternal 
life. Flee to the open refuge which is before you. 
Believe and be saved. 



SEEMON IX, 



REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS THE GIFT OF AN EXALTED SAVIOUR. 



Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a 
Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. — 
Acts v. 31. 



Christ said to his disciples, " Nevertheless I tell 
you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go 
away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not 
come to you; but if I depart, I will send him unto 
you." (John xvi. 7.) Within ten days after our 
Lord's ascension, the Holy Spirit was sent, accord- 
ing to his promise, and the disciples, on the day of 
Pentecost, were enriched, not only with miraculous 
gifts, but with enlightening and sanctifying grace. 
The apostles themselves were not only endowed 
with power to speak with tongues and heal diseases, 
but received the gift of heavenly wisdom; were 
made strong in faith and fortitude, and every Chris- 
tian virtue; so that, henceforth, they did not appear 
like the same men; and their enemies " took know- 
ledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." 
But the divine influences, on that auspicious day, 
were not confined to the apostles and brethren, but 
extended to the multitude, who had come together ; 
126 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 127 

among whom were many who had been concerned 
in the crucifixion of our Lord. No less than three 
thousand souls were on that day brought to repent- 
ance, and added to the church. All these spiritual 
blessings were given in consequence of the ascen- 
sion and intercession of the Prince of life, the 
Saviour of the world. And though miraculous 
powers have long since ceased, as being no longer 
needed, and peculiarly liable to abuse through the 
pride and imperfection of men ; yet the sanctifying 
influences of the Holy Spirit are not withdrawn, 
but have continued in the church unto this day ; 
without which the church could not exist, much 
less nourish. Every instance of true repentance 
which has ever occurred, has been produced by the 
operation of this divine Agent. Christ, exalted to 
be a Prince and a Saviour, is said, in our text, to 
give repentance, because in the economy of salva- 
tion, it belongs to him to send the Comforter, who 
is the Holy Spirit. 

But what is this gift, called repentance, of which 
we read so often in the New Testament? It is 
a change of mind. It is such a sight and sense 
of the evil of sin, as leads the soul to turn from it 
with lothing, and self-abhorrence. It is such an 
ingenuous sorrow for sin, as works a change of 
mind never to be regretted. But repentance not 
only is a turning away from all known sin with 
grief that it ever has been committed, and sincere 
hatred of the abominable thing, but it is also a 
turning to God, and laying hold of eternal life It 
is, therefore, called "repentance toward God," 
" repentance unto life." It is an internal, moral or 



128 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

spiritual change, evidenced by the fruits of right- 
eousness in the life. 

As the soul of every man has an inward monitor, 
which, according to its light, accuses him of the 
sin which he commits; and as the word and Spirit 
of God often give energy to the conscience, impeni- 
tent men may, and often do, experience compunc- 
tion for sin; and their convictions are sometimes 
very powerful and very painful ; so that the sinner 
cries out in an agony of soul, which is almost 
insupportable. These awakenings may produce 
a great change, for a season, in the external con- 
duct, and a diligent attendance on the instituted 
means of grace, And such convictions from the 
holy law of God, do commonly precede a true 
change of heart, and are not to be lightly esteemed ; 
for, to all human appearance, the convinced sinner 
is much nigher to the kingdom of heaven than 
the careless sinner. It is well for such as are 
under these impressions, as they regard their own 
salvation, to do nothing to quench the Spirit, who 
is striving with them. And they should assidu- 
ously attend on the means of grace; especially on 
the preaching of the word; for God is pleased to 
make use of these means for the communication of 
saving grace; and " faith comes by hearing, and 
hearing by the word of God." Let the convinced 
sinner not cease to call mightily on God for his 
blessing. For those whom God blesses with par- 
doning grace, he commonly stirs up to great impor- 
tunity in prayer. And if the result should be a 
thorough conviction in the mind of a convinced 
sinner, that he cannot pray aright, and that he can 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 129 

do nothing to obtain the favour of God, it is a state 
of mind very suitable to receive the free grace of 
God. Such a soul will never dream of having any 
merit, or of having laid God under any obligation 
by his prayers. 

The point, however, which I wish to bring 
prominently before your minds, is, that mere legal 
conviction, however pungent, however long con- 
tinued, and however great the external reformation 
which it may produce, is not genuine repentance. 
And, accordingly, the instances are frequent in 
which persons are the subjects of this process, and 
yet after a while lose all their serious impressions, 
and become worse than before. Or such may get 
their convictions removed by false comforts, and 
may be deluded by the arts of Satan into a false 
confidence of being in a safe state, while they are 
still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity. 
Such may remain deceived all their lives, and may 
occupy a conspicuous place among professors, or 
even among preachers of the gospel. A true 
repentance, being not only a turning from sin, but 
a turning unto God, supposes the soul to be 
enlightened to understand something of the way in 
which God can alone be acceptably approached, 
through a Mediator. No soul ever comes to God, 
unless it have some apprehension of his mercy in 
Christ. The exercise of faith in Christ is included 
in a genuine repentance. It is, therefore, vain to 
ask whether faith or repentance precedes, when 
manifestly they both exist together, and the one 
comprehends the other. But if we would be very 
accurate as to the order of the exercises of the 

17 



130 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

mind, in conversion, it is not difficult to see, that 
a saving knowledge of the truth, from the illumina- 
tion of the Holy Spirit, is necessary to every pious 
emotion and holy exercise; and that faith cannot 
be separated from knowledge. If by faith be meant 
the belief of the truth, and by repentance sorrow 
for sin and a turning from it, then certainly faith 
precedes repentance; but if faith be taken in a 
more restricted sense for coming to Christ, or 
trusting in him, then repentance as signifying a 
sense of the evil of sin, and a conviction of its just 
desert, must precede the receiving of Christ as our 
Saviour ; for to apply to Christ to save us from sin, 
implies that we have been made to feel the burden 
of sin, and are sincerely desirous to be delivered 
from it. 

But the Holy Scriptures never deal in meta- 
physical refinements; although every declaration 
of Scripture is consistent with the true principles 
of philosophy ; which is the same as to say, that all 
truths are consistent among themselves. The Chris- 
tian, however, has no need of philosophy or meta- 
physics. He has only to receive the truth in its 
plain, obvious meaning. The Scriptures were 
written for the use of the ignorant, as well as the 
learned; and in regard to the great fundamental 
points of truth, the unlettered Christian does not 
need the aid of the learned expositor. As it 
relates to the spiritual character of the truth, the 
learned and unlearned stand upon a perfect equali- 
ty. To discern the beauty and glory of divine 
truth, both are equally dependent on the grace of 
God. As far as there is a difference, it is in favour 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 131 

of the weak and unlearned, because they are not 
in danger of being puffed up and blinded by a 
conceit of their own knowledge, as is too often the 
case with the wise men of the world ; according 
to that of our Lord, " I thank thee, O Father, Lord 
of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these 
things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed 
them unto babes ; even so, Father, for so it seemed 
good in thy sight." And again, "The poor have 
the gospel preached unto them." 

Let it be understood, then, that true repentance 
is an internal conversion from the love of sin to the 
love of God ; a real change of mind, as the origi- 
nal term properly signifies. In it there are, first, 
new views of truth and duty; of course new views 
of God and his holy law, by which means sin is 
exhibited in its real turpitude. Not only are the 
views of the understanding changed, but the 
emotions and affections of the heart are renewed. 
Sorrow for sin is deeply felt ; shame that we have 
ever had any thing to do with a thing so abomina- 
ble, fills the soul with confusion of face. An abasing 
sense of unworthiness prostrates it in the dust ; and 
strong desires after deliverance from the contamina- 
tion, as well as the guilt of sin, actuate the penitent 
heart, A sense of ingratitude is among the exer- 
cises of the true penitent, of which he is most 
frequently conscious. But not only has the true 
penitent new affections and emotions; but his will 
is also renewed. He now is able to choose that 
which is good. His heart is fixed on the side of 
God and his service. He now counts the cost, and 
yet deliberately chooses the good part which shall 



132 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

never be taken from him. And as the external 
actions flow from the principles of the inner man, 
he whose heart is truly changed, will manifest it 
by a change of life. The subject of gospel repent- 
ance will be found endeavouring to walk in all the 
commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blame- 
less. He hungers and thirsts after righteousness, 
and delights in the law of God after the inward 
man. He " esteems all God's precepts concerning 
all things to be right, and hates every false way." 
Of course, he will endeavour to grow in grace, and 
in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. As there is a 
remainder of sin dwelling in the hearts of true 
penitents, they will be sensible of its evil and 
defilement, and will groan under it, and earnestly 
desire to have it removed. They can, and often 
do adopt the language of Paul, " O wretched man 
that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this 
death!" And, through the Spirit, they will strive 
to crucify the flesh, and to mortify the deeds of the 
body. Thus, their aim and effort is, daily " to die 
unto sin, and live unto righteousness;" "to put off 
the old man with his deeds which are corrupt, and 
to put on the new man, which, after God, is 
renewed in righteousness and true holiness." 
Indeed, the man who has experienced this change 
will be satisfied with nothing short of perfection. 
If he did not aspire to this, he would not be a 
genuine penitent; it would be conclusive evidence 
that he had never seen the odiousness of sin, nor 
the beauty of holiness. And just as far as he falls 
short of the mark at which he aims, just so far 
he blames himself, and is humbled for his sin ; and 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 133 

though he not only comes short of the demands of 
the law, but also of his own purposes and expecta- 
tions; yet he does not relinquish his efforts, but 
learns every day to confide less and less in his own 
strength, and to trust more simply and entirely on 
the grace of God to enable him to do any thing as 
he ought. And by slow degrees he learns in 
practice what he has all along admitted in theory, 
that his sufficiency is of God. Under this impres- 
sion he, by waiting on the Lord, endeavours to 
renew his strength, and thus to mount up as on 
eagles' wings, to run and not be weary, to walk 
and not faint. Having from God precious promises 
of divine aid, he strives " to cleanse himself from 
all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and to perfect 
holiness in the fear of God." 

From the view which has been taken of the 
nature of true repentance, we may learn, 

1. The great error of those who imagine that 
they are penitents, because they often feel com- 
punction for their sins, while they have not been 
persuaded to relinquish them. The worst of men 
feel compunction, and are sometimes agonized with 
bitter remorse. But there is no piety in remorse, 
for the devil, no doubt, has this ingredient strongly 
mingled in his cup of misery. Who ever mani- 
fested more compunction than Saul did for his 
malevolent and unreasonable persecution of David? 
and yet, though he desisted from his sin for a sea- 
son, he soon returned with renewed malice to the 
pursuit of one who had never injured him, but 
had always acted faithfully and successfully in his 
service. And where have we a case of deeper 



134 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

compunction and remorse, than in Judas Iscariot, 
who, when he found that his Master was con- 
demned, through his treachery, to be crucified, 
repented himself, and went and said to the chief 
priests and scribes, "I have betrayed innocent 
blood," and threw down the ill-gotten money in the 
temple, and went and hanged himself? The horrid 
crime of suicide is commonly owing to the intoler- 
able gnawings of remorse in a soul unacquainted 
with the efficacy of Christ's blood. It is to be 
feared, that many are misled by the popular mean- 
ing of the English word repentance, and suppose 
that it implies nothing more than regret or sorrow, 
that they have done what they ought not to have 
done. 

2. And this leads me to point out another grand 
mistake, into which many of the unconverted fall; 
and that is, that they can repent by their own will 
and strength, without any foreign aid. Multitudes 
are living under this fatal delusion; thinking, that 
when a convenient season shall arrive, they will 
then repent; or if such a convenient time does not 
come before, they will repent of their sins on a 
death-bed, persuading themselves, and encouraged 
in the belief by false teachers, that they have the 
ability to repent whenever they may choose to 
exert it. Under this delusion it is, that sinners 
procrastinate attention to the concerns of their 
souls, until their day of grace is past. If such 
are permitted to enjoy the exercise of reason on 
a death-bed, they then find that repentance does 
not come at their bidding. Alas! in this painful 
and awful situation, they find that instead of 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 135 

tender, ingenuous relentings, their hearts are blind 
and hard, and to save their souls, they cannot 
command one pious, penitent emotion to arise in 
their hearts. I would say to those who think they 
have ability to repent when they please, make the 
experiment now. " Make to yourselves a new 
heart." Put your ability to the test. It will 
certainly do you no harm. But you have no 
desire to forsake all sin, and herein is the source 
of your inability; and the same indisposition to 
turn away from sin will accompany you to the 
grave, unless the grace of God prevent. No : man 
never changes his own heart from sin to holiness, 
until the power of God operates to take away the 
heart of stone. And then when a heart of flesh is 
given, the sorrows of repentance begin to gush out; 
the heart is now yielding to God's will, and is 
rendered impressible by divine truth. Now, the 
stony heart is broken and becomes contrite; and 
on such a heart God looks with favour. " The 
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and 
a contrite heart, O Lord, thou wilt not despise." 
(Ps. li. 17.) 

3. In the light of this subject we may also see 
the error of those who take an outward and partial 
reformation to be repentance. Repentance, we 
have seen, is an internal change, affecting the 
understanding, affections, and will, and thus pro- 
ducing the " fruits meet for repentance," namely, 
a holy life. But men may, and often do, make a 
partial reformation from some of their evil practices, 
and yet the root of iniquity remains unsubdued. 
The man who in his youth was licentious and 



136 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

indulged his carnal appetites without restraint, 
when he becomes old, may have abandoned all 
vices of this class; yet he may be no less wicked 
than before his reformation; for instead of fleshly 
lusts, pride, avarice, and malice may have taken 
deeper root in his soul. It may be with him as with 
the man of whom our Saviour speaks, from whom 
one devil went out, but it was only to return with 
seven others worse than himself. In our day, 
when so many inebriates have been reclaimed from 
their degrading and ruinous vice, there is reason 
to apprehend, that many who have been the sub- 
jects of this reformation, may be led to think that 
such a reformation is all that is necessary to their 
salvation. Whereas, though such a reformation is 
exceedingly desirable and important, as it relates 
to their temporal welfare and respectability, and 
usefulness ; and may be as life from the dead to 
their mortified and afflicted families ; yet they may 
remain as much under the habitual dominion of 
sin, and have hearts as much at enmity with God 
as before. It is not enough to lop off one branch 
from the evil tree ; the axe must be laid at the root. 
The heart must be changed. The love of God 
must be implanted. Sin must be forsaken on 
account of its own turpitude. And not merely one, 
but all sin must be repented of. If we regard one 
sin in our hearts, it is a sure sign that our repent- 
ance is not genuine. And God has declared, that 
the prayers of such he will not hear. Often these 
partial reformations are temporary. The sinner, 
who for a season curbs his vicious appetites, after 
a while, weary of this self-denial, gives the reins 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 137 

to his lusts, and rushes down the current of fleshly 
indulgence with greater licentiousness than before 
his reformation. 

4. We may, moreover, learn from what has been 
said, that repentance is not a single act, but a great 
change of moral character : and that as long as men 
have any sin remaining in them, repentance can 
never cease. Every day the true penitent is 
endeavouring to turn away, more and more, from 
his sins. He never knows a time when the exer- 
cise of repentance is not obligatory on him. In 
every act of devotion, in public or private, he 
appears before God in the character of a penitent. 
And the more of godly sorrow and contrition for 
sin he feels, the more acceptable are his devotional 
exercises to God, who is graciously pleased to 
declare, " I dwell in the high and holy place, with 
him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to 
revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the 
heart of the contrite ones." The more holy a man 
becomes, the more penitent he is ; and as he grows 
in grace, he increases in his hatred to all sin, and in 
sorrow that he has ever committed it. And even 
when the pious man has satisfactory evidence that 
God has put away his iniquity, and freely forgiven 
his sins ; yet he does not on that account cease to 
repent of all the evils which he has done. Indeed, 
the heart is never so completely melted into 
ingenuous relentings, as when the forgiving love 
of God is shed abroad within it. The true Chris- 
tian, then, has this as one of his distinguishing 
characteristics, that he is a mourner all his days. 

18 



138 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

But he has the blessedness of those that mourn. 
He shall be comforted. 

Finally, we may in the light of this subject, see 
the miserable imposition which is practised on 
their ignorant followers by the Romish priests, 
who teach them, that "to repent" is nothing 
else but to do penance. And what is more to be 
censured, they have given this as the translation 
of the original term in the New Testament; so 
that when their people do read the Bible, which 
practice is never encouraged among them, they 
learn nothing of the important doctrine of repent- 
ance, as a change of mind ; but think that God, in 
his word, requires them to perform certain acts of 
self-denial, which may be prescribed by the priest, 
as a punishment for their sins. When they have 
submitted to these penances, the priest pronounces 
them absolved from their sins, although they may 
give no evidence of a change of heart, and may 
bring forth in their lives none of the fruits meet for 
repentance. May the good Lord deliver the people 
from these woful delusions ! 

The connexion of the forgiveness of sin with 
repentance is so certain and indissoluble, that 
wherever sin is forgiven there is a true penitent; 
and wherever there is repentance, it is accom- 
panied with the pardon of sin. We should, 
however, never forget that repentance has no 
efficacy to atone for sin; nor any merit to deserve 
the favour of God. This blessing is entirely the 
fruit of Christ's death, which becomes ours as soon 
as we sincerely believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 139 

And as we have shown, true repentance always 
accompanies a genuine faith, or includes it; there- 
fore repentance is the sure evidence of our pardon. 
It is, therefore, emphatically denominated " repent- 
ance unto life." But though there is no merit in 
our repentance to deserve forgiveness; yet there is 
an evident congruity in connecting pardon with 
repentance. Among men it is customary for an 
offended person to require some evidence of repent- 
ance prior to a reconciliation. These two gifts 
which our exalted Prince and Saviour bestows, 
comprehend all that is essential to man's salvation, 
for they remove the only obstacles which stand 
in the way of our entering into life. By the one, 
the corruption of our nature is subdued, and a 
work of sanctification is commenced, which will 
be carried on until it is perfected, and the once 
polluted soul presented before God, without spot 
or wrinkle, or any blemish whatever. By the 
other, the curse of the law is removed, and there 
is no condemnation to them that are in Christ 
Jesus. For when sin is forgiven, the believing 
penitent is always adopted into the family of God ; 
and being now a son, becomes, of course, an heir. 

Let us, then, never cease to cry to our risen 
and ascended Saviour, to bestow these rich bless- 
ings of his grace upon us and others. His throne 
is accessible, and we are invited to come with 
freedom and confidence unto it, that we may attain 
mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need. 
As we all need these blessings, let us boldly and 
importunately ask that we may receive them. 



SEKMON X. 



RECEIVING CHRIST BY FAITH. 



But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the 
sons of God; even to them that believe on his name.— John i. 12. 



It is a wonderful fact, that though the Jewish 
nation were looking for their Messiah, yet, when 
Jesus of Nazareth appeared, and completely 
answered the predictions of the prophets, the 
great body of the nation rejected him, persecuted 
him, and ceased not their malice, until they saw 
him crucified. " He came to his own, and his 
own received him not." But while he was con- 
tumeliously rejected by the great body of the 
people, there were a few, even of that wicked and 
adulterous generation, who received him. " Many 
were called, but few were chosen." The truth 
and glory of the Messiah were hidden from the 
wise and prudent, but were revealed unto babes. 
The Scribes and Pharisees proudly rejected the 
Son of God, but publicans and sinners flocked 
around him and were accepted; so that it was 
said by way of reproach, "This man receiveth 
sinners I" 
140 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 141 

But rich grace was conferred on all those who 
did receive him. However deeply involved in 
guilt and crime, they received a tree pardon, and 
acquired the privilege of becoming the sons of 
God. Let us, then, first inquire what it is to 
receive Christ; and secondly, what is the exalted 
privilege conferred on such. 

1. What are we to understand by receiving 
Christ? The Evangelist explains his own mean- 
ing in the latter part of the verse, by saying, "even 
as many as believed on his name." Receiving 
Christ, and believing on his name, are substanti- 
ally the same thing. But do not many believe 
that Christ is the Son of God and Saviour of 
sinners, who continue in sin and never subject 
themselves to his easy yoke? We do read of 
some, in our Saviour's time, who believed in him, 
yet would not confess him, because they loved 
the praise of men more than the honour which 
cometh from God ; and of some who received 
the word with joy, and believed, but their faith 
was temporary ; and of one, who believed and 
was baptized, and yet was pronounced by an 
inspired apostle, to be " in the gall of bitterness 
and bond of iniquity." The apostle James, also, 
speaks of those whose faith was dead ; that is, such 
a faith as neither worked by love, nor produced 
the fruits of righteousness and peace. 

From all these cases we learn that there is a 
species of faith which is not connected with salva- 
tion. Such believers did never truly receive 
Christ as their Saviour; and did never believe 
on him with that faith which is of the operation of 



142 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the Holy Spirit, which is "not of ourselves, but 
is the gift of God." It is not strange that there 
should be in those educated in a Christian country, 
a common traditionary faith in the Christian reli- 
gion; for we find a similar faith prevalent among 
all nations, whatever may be the nature of their 
religion. They believe in what they have been 
taught; they believe as their fathers did before them. 
We may be sure, then, that that faith, among Chris- 
tians, which has no higher origin than the faith of 
a Pagan or a Mussulman, is not that faith which 
is so often declared by our Lord to be connected 
with salvation. 

Let us then inquire what it is to receive Christ, 
for this is the faith mentioned in our text. 

1. And here we may apply the proverb of our 
Saviour, "They that be whole need not the physi- 
cian, but they that are sick." Christ came " to 
seek that which was lost." " He came not to call 
the righteous, but sinners to repentance." It is 
plain, therefore, that none will apply to Christ as 
the Physician of souls, until they become sensible 
that they are diseased; that none will receive him 
as a Saviour, but those who feel that they are lost. 
Men are very averse to being dependent on others 
for what they imagine they already possess, or can 
obtain by their own efforts. Even when in some 
measure convinced of sin,. their first effort almost 
always is to save themselves; and these legal 
strivings in their own strength, they do not give 
up until by experience they find that their case 
grows worse and worse, and that they have no 
ability to do any thing for their own deliverance. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 143 

If Christ is truly received by any, they must 
view him in his true character, as the only begotten 
Son of God. If a king should send his own son to 
negotiate a treaty of peace with subjects in a state 
of rebellion, and should make it a condition of his 
pardoning their treason, that they should receive 
his son as his ambassador; if any, notwithstanding 
the credentials which he bore, should deny that he 
was the son of the king; or that he was invested 
with a plenipotentiary commission to grant pardon 
to such as submitted, it could not be said, that they 
received the royal messenger, although they should 
admit that he had been sent to communicate the 
will of the sovereign. So, unless men acknow- 
ledge Christ to be indeed the Son of God, " the 
brightness of his glory, and the express image of 
his Person," they cannot properly be said to receive 
the Messiah, or believe to the salvation of their 
souls; although they may extol him as a perfect 
man, or even as an exalted angel. We can only 
be said to receive an ambassador when we acknow- 
ledge him in that character, in which he professes 
to come, and ascribe to him that power and dignity 
which he claims. They, therefore, who deny the 
divinity of the Saviour are to be considered as 
really unbelievers, as if they rejected him alto- 
gether. All who truly receive Christ, do believe 
in him as the Son of God, who claims equality 
of knowledge, power, and honour with the Father. 

Again, Christ comes as a Prophet, as the prophet 
concerning whom Moses spoke; or rather the Lord 
to Moses, "I will raise them up a prophet like unto 
thee." Christ was demonstrated by his works to 



144 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

be "a Teacher sent from God." When he 
appeared in glory on the mount of transfiguration, 
the voice which proceeded from "the excellent 
glory," said, " This is my beloved Son, hear him." 
If we receive him, we must receive him as our 
divine Teacher, and submit our minds to the 
instructions which he gives. And as man is not 
only blind, but indisposed to learn, Christ first 
convinces him of his extreme ignorance, and next 
endows him with a teachable disposition. As long 
as men think highly of their own wisdom, they 
will not come to Christ, to learn of him. Such 
are given up to their own blindness, and commonly, 
become more and more confirmed in their errors. 
In this sense we must understand what Christ 
says, " For judgment am I come into this world, 
that they which see not might see, and that they 
which see might be made blind." And this is 
confirmed by the answer which he gave to some 
of the Pharisees, who, on hearing the words already 
cited, said, " And are we blind also ? Jesus said 
unto them, if ye were blind, ye should have no sin ; 
but now ye say, We see ; therefore your sin remain- 
eth." One of the things which the Holy Spirit is 
sent to convince men of is, the blindness of their 
minds, which is not essentially different from 
unbelief. " And when he is come, he will reprove 
the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. 
Of sin, because they believe not in me." This 
conviction of unbelief goes before the reception of 
Christ. At first, under the illumination of the 
Holy Spirit, gross sins, and sins of commission 
affect the conscience, but as the light increases, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 145 

the soul is made deeply sensible, that it has not 
only sinned by positive, external acts, but that 
there is a corrupt fountain within, and that as 
much guilt has been contracted by sins of omis- 
sion, as by overt acts of transgression. And when 
all hope of justification by the law of works is 
relinquished, and it begins to turn toward the 
gospel for relief, it finds in itself no more ability to 
obey the gospel than the law. Eternal life is 
offered to every one that believeth ; that is, to every 
one that will come to Christ; and in theory, believ- 
ing seems to be a very easy thing; so that almost 
every careless sinner thinks that he can exercise 
faith whenever he wills to do so. But not so with 
the convinced sinner. He feels that nothing is more 
out of his power, than one act of saving faith. He 
is deeply sensible that he never shall be truly 
willing to turn to God, until he is made so by 
divine power. And yet, he does not excuse him- 
self; he is conscious that he is culpable for his 
unbelief, and for want of a heart to believe. He, 
therefore, despairs of all help, except from the 
sovereign mercy of God; and no one can assure 
him that this will be vouchsafed. He is now in a 
situation to acknowledge that salvation is altogether 
of grace. And when God is pleased to reveal 
himself to such a soul, the blessing comes as a 
free gift. The object now presented to the believ- 
ing soul is Christ, as a Mediator, as exhibited in 
the word of God ; for Christ is no where else to be 
found but in the word. And as he is the lesson to 
be learned, so he is the great and effectual teacher, 
by the Spirit whom he sends, not only to convince 

19 



146 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

men of sin, but of righteousness. Henceforth, the 
humbled sinner desires to sit, like Mary, at Christ's 
feet, and learn of him. No salutary instruction is 
expected from any other quarter. The sincere 
believer continually comes to Christ for instruction, 
and receives all his words as infallibly true. 

But blindness is not the only malady under 
which the human soul labours; and from which it 
needs to be delivered. There is a heavy burden 
of guilt sufficient to sink it to the lowest hell. 
When this . comes to be felt, then, indeed, the 
condition of the soul is deplorable. All its own 
exertions and sufferings cannot atone for the 
smallest sin. "The blood of bulls and goats 
cannot take away sin." The inquiry may then be, 
Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow 
myself before the high God ? Shall I come before 
him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year 
old ? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of 
rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall 
I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit 
of my body for the sin of my soul?" However 
careless once, now the cry is extorted, "What 
must I do to be saved?" Without some conviction 
of the ill-desert of sin, we are never prepared to 
view Christ as "the Lamb of God that taketh away 
the sin of the world." The death of Christ has 
little or no meaning to a careless sinner. The soul 
must be deeply wounded by the stroke of the law, 
before it is ready to appreciate the precious balm 
intended as a remedy for the pained conscience. 
But when it is fairly slain by the law, and all hope 
of satisfying its demands is gone, then to see by 



PRACTICAL SERMONS 147 

the eye of faith, Christ crucified, and to learn that 
" He was wounded for our transgressions, and 
bruised for our iniquities," and that he was thus 
made a curse for us, that we might be redeemed 
from the curse of the law, new feelings begin to 
spring up in the soul. Here, indeed, is a fountain 
opened for sin and uncleanness, a fountain of 
precious blood. Now it is understood how God 
can be just, while he justifies the believing sinner. 
The law, indeed, does not relinquish its demands; 
this is impossible, but here they are all satisfied. 
It is more; they are honoured. " Mercy and truth 
have met together, righteousness and peace have 
kissed each other." The sword of divine justice 
has indeed been turned aside from us, but we 
behold it piercing the heart of our Surety; for when 
he stepped into our place under the law, there was 
no remission of the penalty, but the stern demand 
was laid upon him. Then was fulfilled the word 
of the prophet, " Awake, O sword, against the man 
that is my fellow; smite the shepherd and the 
sheep shall be scattered." According to the cove- 
nant engagements of the Son, he assumes our 
place, and drinks the cup of wrath which the 
Father put into his hands. When a convicted 
sinner beholds Christ lifted up, he receives a salva- 
tion similar to that which the Israelites, bitten by the 
fiery serpents, obtained by looking on the brazen 
serpent, which Moses was directed to elevate upon 
a pole. For as every one of these received imme- 
diate deliverance from his painful and envenomed 
wound; so, every one who by faith looks to a 
Saviour exalted on the cross, receives redemption 



148 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

from the guilt of sin. When his faith is strong he 
is conscious that his deliverance is effected, and 
that the curse is removed. But faith follows 
Christ to his exaltation to heaven also, and there 
sees him still officiating as a great High Priest. 
Still he appears as " a Lamb that had been slain. " 
Still he exhibits his meritorious propitiation, and 
sprinkles the blood of the great sin-offering before 
the mercy-seat in the temple above. " He is able, 
therefore, to save to the uttermost all who come 
unto God by him ; seeing he ever liveth to make 
intercession for them." " Such an High Priest 
becomes us." The believing sinner feels his con- 
science purified by the sprinkling of this atoning 
blood. Christ is, therefore, received as a Priest, 
and the penitent sinner places his whole confidence 
in him, and cheerfully commits all his eternal 
interests into his hands, believing that what he 
thus confides, will be safely kept unto the day 
of redemption. Thus is Christ received as a 
Priest. 

He is also, at the same time, received as a King. 
Christ, as God, has an indefeasible right to our 
allegiance; but he is also King, as our Mediator. 
All power in heaven and in earth, is committed 
unto him. To him every knee should bow and 
every tongue confess. But having purchased a 
peculiar people, a chosen generation, not with silver 
and gold, but with his own precious blood, he has 
a right founded in redemption to rule over them. 
And though they long resisted his authority, and 
often said in their hearts, " We will not have this 
man to reign over us;" yet, by his powerful 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 149 

grace he subdues their proud and rebellious hearts, 
and in the day of his power, makes them willing 
to take his yoke upon them. The soul humbled 
in penitence at the foot of the cross, cries, " Lord, 
what wouldest thou have me to do?" Other lords 
have had dominion over it, but now it renounces 
them all, and voluntarily submits to the authority 
of the King of Zion, and cheerfully resolves to keep 
his commandments, and to observe all his ordi- 
nances. Christ is now placed on the throne of the 
affections, and reigns as supreme; and the earnest 
and continual desire of the believer is, that every 
thought and imagination may be brought into sub- 
jection to the law of Christ. And grief is felt when- 
ever a failure of due obedience is observed. Thus 
Christ is received in his threefold office of Prophet, 
Priest, and King; and in these offices he is able to 
accomplish the salvation of all who put their trust 
in him. For, "of God he is made unto us wisdom, 
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." 

Before we proceed to the consideration of the 
latter part of the text, let us reflect on what has 
been already said, and endeavour to derive some 
improvement from it. 

1. Let us beware of imitating the ungrateful 
conduct of the unbelieving Jews. By their unbe- 
lief, they forfeited all the rich privileges and 
blessings which appertained to them, as the cove- 
nanted people of God. They gloried in being the 
children of Abraham; in being of the circumcision; 
in having the oracles and promises of God among 
them. But what did all these privileges avail 
them, when they rejected him in whom Abraham 



150 PRACTICAL SERMONS 

firmly believed; and refused to receive Him in 
whom all the predictions and promises concen- 
tered? However descended from the father of 
the faithful according to the flesh; yet they were 
not the true children of Abraham, according to the 
promise ; " For they are not all Israel who are of 
Israel. He is not a Jew who is one outwardly ; 
neither is that circumcision which is outward in 
the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, 
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit 
and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men 
but of God." While we are thankful for external 
privileges, let us beware of trusting in them. 
They will all avail nothing without " faith, which 
worketh by love." 

2. We learn from what has been said, the true 
nature of saving faith; it is the "receiving Christ 
as he is offered in the gospel," as a divine Person, 
even the well-beloved and only begotten Son of 
God, who thought it not robbery to be equal with 
God. It is to receive him as our Prophet, Priest, 
and King, understandingly and cordially; and 
renouncing every other foundation of hope, and 
every other Teacher and Master. It is, in short, 
to believe firmly all that God has testified of his 
Son. It is so to apprehend these truths by the 
illumination of the Spirit, that our supreme affec- 
tions may be attracted to Christ, and our wills 
be resolved to follow the Lamb through evil and 
good report. 



SERMON XI. 



PRIVILEGES OF THE SONS OP GOD, 



To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the 
sons of God ; even to them that believe on his name ; which were 
born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will 
of man, but of God. — John i. 12, 13. 



To be descended from kings and nobles is an 
honour held in high estimation in the world; but 
when men are unworthy of their distinguished 
ancestors, they rather cast a reproach upon them, 
than inherit any real honour from them. The 
Jews prided themselves on being descended from 
Abraham, the friend of God, and the father of the 
faithful; and many of them rested in their connex- 
ion with a pious ancestry, as the ground of their 
acceptance ; but Christ makes a distinction between 
a natural and spiritual descent. He denies that 
the Jews, who rejected him, were the children of 
Abraham; because the works of Abraham they 
did not do. And John the Baptist, told them not 
to think within themselves that they had Abraham 
to their father, for God was able of the stones to 
raise up children unto Abraham. 

151 



152 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Paul also draws a distinct line of division 
between those who were merely Jews by natural 
descent and outward privileges, and those who 
were Israelites in heart. (Rom. ii. 28, 29.) God 
has one only-begotten Son, generated from his own 
essence, without being separated from it. The 
angels also are called "the sons of God," because 
God is their Father and Creator, and because they 
bear the image of God. Adam is called " the son 
of God," because he proceeded immediately from 
the hand of God, and had no other Father. But 
believers are the sons of God in virtue of their 
union to Christ. As he is a Son, in an exalted and 
ineffable sense, and they are members of his body, 
his flesh, and his bones, and are "one spirit," 
they are sons in a peculiar sense, in which no other 
creatures, however exalted, are sons. The angels 
have been admitted to no such union with the Son 
of God, as that with which believers are honoured. 
Christ, by becoming incarnate, has come very near 
to human nature. " He took not on him the 
nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham." 
He is not ashamed, therefore, to call his people 
brethren. 

Again, believers are sons, because they have 
been begotten of God. This the evangelist speaks 
of in our text. He had declared, that all who 
received Christ, possessed the power or privilege 
of becoming the sons of God ; and lest any one 
should think that this high privilege was obtained 
by human descent, or from any external thing, or 
any human power, he goes on to tell how they 
became sons. It was by being born. But whence 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 153 

this birth ? Was it by blood or natural descent, or 
from any human origin? No. This would not 
have made thern the sons of God. But they 
became the sons of God by being, "born of God." 
This fundamental doctrine of Christianity, our 
Lord treats of fully, in his discourse with Nicode- 
mus, the Jewish ruler, who had come to him by 
night to learn something of his doctrine. To him, 
Christ declares, that " except a man be born again, 
(or from above, as the word should be rendered,) he 
cannot see the kingdom of God." And when the 
inquiring Jew marvelled at this, he reiterates what 
he had said of the necessity of this change; but 
teaches him that it was a spiritual and not a 
natural birth of which he spake. The expression, 
" born of the Spirit," in that passage, is equivalent 
to being "born of God" in this place. The word 
"water," which is joined to "spirit," may be 
merely an external emblem of purification; or it 
may possibly refer to the ordinance of baptism, 
which strikingly represents, by an external sign, 
the work of regeneration ; and which is also a duty 
required of all believers. " The wind bloweth 
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, 
but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it 
goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." 
By these words of our Saviour, we are taught, 
that the operations of the Spirit are sovereign and 
free, as the wind bloweth where it listeth. No 
man can command the wind, or direct its course; 
"so is every one that is born of the Spirit." 
Again, we learn from these words, that the opera- 
tions of the Spirit cannot be traced in the work of 

20 



154 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

regeneration. We can neither explain the manner 
in which the work commences, the process by 
which it is carried on, nor its termination ; but as 
in the case of the wind, we can hear its sound, so 
here we may observe the fruits and effects of the 
Spirit's operation. 

This change is called regeneration, or the new 
birth, because it is the beginning of a new kind of 
life. As in the natural birth, we come into the 
world, and by degrees become acquainted with the 
objects around us, as they make impressions on our 
senses; so by being born of God, or born from 
above, the eyes of our mind are opened upon the 
spiritual world. We receive by regeneration a 
susceptibility of taking on lively impressions from 
objects which affected us not at all before. A new 
heaven and a new earth seem to be created; for 
the views of all nature are changed, by the new 
life which has been communicated. But whence 
this new light ? Does the Lord make a new revela- 
tion to every regenerated soul ? By no means. 
This light emanates from the Bible. It is the 
law contained in the Holy Scriptures which is now 
seen to be " holy, just, and good," and it is by this 
law that sin is seen to be " exceeding sinful." It is 
Christ, as exhibited in the Bible, who becomes the 
object of the faith and love of the renewed mind. 
Enthusiasts may undervalue the word, and choose 
rather to follow their own disordered imaginations ; 
but the soul taught of God is always led to the 
word, for divine instruction. This is the " lamp 
to their feet, and the light to their path." By the 
word the Spirit operates. The reason why the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 155 

truth, often heard and read, seems to be new, and 
clothed with beauty and interest unperceived before, 
is because the films of ignorance and unbelief 
and prejudice, are removed by the illumination of 
the Holy Spirit. Something of the glory of God 
is now seen shining in the face of Jesus Christ; 
and beholding this, the regenerated soul is trans- 
formed into the same likeness from glory to glory, 
as by the Spirit of the Lord. And it requires 
Omnipotence to cause the blinded eyes to see. 
The same power which caused light to shine out 
of darkness, must shine into our hearts, to give us 
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in 
the face of Jesus Christ. At first, the views of the 
regenerated soul may be dim and indistinct, like 
those of the man restored to his natural sight by 
our Saviour. When asked whether he saw aught, 
he replied, that he saw " men as trees walking;" 
but another touch of the Saviour's hand, caused 
him "to see all things clearly." So, "the path 
of the just is as the shining light that shineth 
more and more unto the perfect day." The 
degrees of light, and the vigour of life, communi- 
cated by regeneration, are very different in differ- 
ent converts. The work of grace on the heart, is 
in kind the same in all, but various in degree, 
analogous to what is observed in the natural life. 
The soul born of God, seeks in its most ardent 
aspirations, to return to God the fountain of life. 
The affections are now habitually set on things 
above, and the renewed soul spontaneously goes 
out in ardent desires after God, desiring to know 
more of him, and to enjoy the light of his counten- 



156 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

ance ; hungering and thirsting after righteousness ; 
panting after communion with God, and seeking 
to advance his glory, These, in Scripture, are 
denominated "seekers of the Lord," and there is 
a gracious promise, that none of them shall seek in 
vain. "When the Lord says, "Seek ye my face, 
their heart responds, Thy face, Lord, will we seek." 

The tree being now made good, cannot but 
bring forth good fruit. The regenerated soul loves 
God above all things, and delights in his law after 
the inner man. The best evidence of having 
experienced this change is a habitual purpose and 
endeavour to keep all the commandments of God, 
and to oppose and avoid every known sin. Their 
prevailing motive is love to God; their rule, God's 
holy law which they cordially approve; and their 
end, the glory of God. Certainly all who are 
governed by these principles are, the sons of God. 

But God not only is the author of regeneration 
to his children, but of adoption. By adoption, a 
man takes into his family some poor child, and 
bestows upon it his affection and care ; and treats 
it, in all respects, as if it were his own child, 
begotten of his own body. And this little orphan 
is introduced, it may be, into a rich and honourable 
family; and instead of penury and disgrace, it is 
supplied with every thing necessary for its comfort, 
and becomes the heir of the estate. This practice, 
very common among some nations, especially the 
Romans, and not unknown in our own country, is 
made use of to represent the gracious dealings of 
our heavenly Father toward poor, lost, and degraded 
sinners, whom he saw lying in a state of ruin. On 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 157 

these he exercises tender compassion, and rescues 
them from the miserable condition into which they 
were sunk; raises them up from their low estate, 
and makes them sons and daughters. They are 
brought into his church, and are there nourished 
and supported with every thing necessary for their 
spiritual welfare. And that they may be encour- 
aged to come w T ith confidence and freedom into his 
presence, their heavenly Father bestows on them 
the spirit of adoption; by which they are disposed 
to call him their Father, with the fond affection of 
children. They are no more considered and treated 
as servants, but as sons; and being sons, they are 
of course heirs. And as the rich inheritance which 
is in reversion belongs to the Son of God, who has 
purchased it, they are made joint heirs with him. 
While in this world, they are trained by suit- 
able discipline and trials, that they may become 
meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. 
But when their time of trial and preparation is 
ended, they will have an abundant entrance admin- 
istered unto them into the everlasting kingdom of 
their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; after which 
they will hunger no more, and thirst no more, and 
all tears shall be for ever wiped from their eyes. 
They shall henceforth be ever with the Lord that 
they may behold his glory. For it is his will, that 
where he is, there they should be also. 

From a consideration of these things we may 
well adopt the admiring exclamation of the apostle 
John, " Behold, what manner of love the Father 
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called 
the sons of God. Beloved, it doth not yet appear 



158 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

what we shall be, but when h. doth appear, we 
shall be like him, for we shall e him as he is. 
And every man that hath this hope m him, purifieth 
himself, even as he is pure." 

The. dignity and honour enjoyed by the greatest 
princes on earth is contemptible when compared 
with that of the meanest child of God. Soon all 
earthly glory shall be obscured for ever ; and the 
dust and bones of the greatest monarch will be 
as loathsome as those of the vilest beggar; but 
though the bodies of the sons of God, are destined 
also to return to the earth, yet their very dust is 
precious in the eyes of the Lord; and though 
apparently vile while in the grave, yet it is 
destined to rise again in honour and glory. And 
in the Father's house there is already a glorious 
mansion prepared for every one of the sons and 
daughters of God Almighty. 

If believers have made over to them all the 
privileges of sons of God, they should act as 
becometh the heirs for whom such an inherit- 
ance is provided. We would expect of the son of 
a king who was heir to a crown, and expected 
shortly to occupy a throne, to stand aloof from low 
company and degrading pursuits. We should 
expect him to live under the constant impression 
that he was the son of a king. Certainly, then, 
the sons of God, while detained upon earth, should 
not be conformed to this world. They should 
not set their hearts on things below, but should 
habitually remember that they are heirs to a 
heavenly inheritance. This object should never 
be long out of their thoughts, and nothing which 



PRACTICAL SERMONS 159 

they can control should be permitted to draw them 
off from the contemplation and pursuit of this 
glorious object. Their citizenship being in heaven 
they should confess themselves to be strangers and 
pilgrims on earth. 

Finally, the sons of God should be filled with 
joy in the lively hope of the riches of glory which 
awaits them. Professing Christians too often go 
mourning all the day long, and through grief and 
despondency, hang their heads as the bulrush. 
And this leads others to think that they are a poor, 
dejected, miserable set of people, who being cut off 
by their religious profession from the pleasures and 
amusements of this world, have found no compen- 
sation in religion, and enjoy little or no comfort in 
the prospect before them. These things ought not 
so to be. Let saints be joyful in their King. Of all 
people in the world, they have the best right to be 
joyful. They have nothing to fear, for all things 
shall work for their good, and they have every 
thing to hope for, because heaven is secured to 
them by two immutable things in which it is 
impossible for God to lie, that they might have 
strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay 
hold on the hope set before them. A gracious 
God not only permits, but commands his children 
to rejoice; yea, to rejoice alway, to rejoice ever- 
more, to rejoice in tribulation, and even in death. 

O Christian, think much of the high dignity to 
which you are exalted by your union to Christ. 
You are kings and priests unto God. You are 
the heirs of a heavenly inheritance, joint heirs with 
Christ. What if here you are a poor and afflicted 



160 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

people ; in this respect you resemble your Saviour. 
If you suffer with him, you shall also reign 
with him. Though poor and afflicted in this 
world, in the world to come you will be rich 
and happy. Your treasures there can never be 
lost; " Neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and 
thieves do not break through and steal." Live, 
then, by faith, looking "not at the things which are 
seen, which are temporal, but at the things which 
are not seen, which are eternal." Live in the 
lively hope and anticipation of your future bliss. 
Let this alleviate your burdens, and sweeten the 
toils of your weary pilgrimage. 



SERMON XII, 



DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART. 



The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.- 
Jer. xvii. 9 



These words do not describe the moral condition 
of any particular man, or of any one nation, but are 
spoken generally of human kind. The meaning 
is the same as if it had been said, every heart 
is " deceitful above all things, and desperately 
wicked." Not that all men are in practice equally 
wicked; or that, in fact, all hearts are equally 
deceitful ; for there is a progress in sin to which no 
limits can be assigned. When, therefore, it is 
asserted that all men are totally depraved, the 
meaning is not, that all are as depraved as they 
can be, but that even before moral acts commence, 
there is in all men an utter destitution of all right- 
eousness. As to original sin, all men stand on the 
same level. All are destitute of any true love to 
God. " The carnal mind is enmity against God." 
By nature we are all " dead in sin," and il children 
of wrath even as others." 

21 161 



162 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

We learn from the example of Paul, in the third 
chapter of Romans, that the declarations in the 
Old Testament respecting the character and sinful 
state of mankind, are applicable to all men, in all 
ages. And even those traits of moral character, 
which, when exhibited, had particular reference to 
the Jewish people, are applicable to other nations. 
And this rule of interpretation depends on two 
principles; first, that human nature is essentially 
the same in all ages and among all people; and 
secondly, that the sacred Scriptures were written 
for the instruction of people at all times. The 
words of our text, however, are free from all objec- 
tion arising from a special reference to any man or 
nation ; they contain a general proposition, which is 
as true and as applicable in our age as in another. 

There are two qualities here ascribed to the 
human heart, and both in the superlative degree, 
viz. deceitfulness, exceeding that of every other 
thing ; and desperate or deadly wickedness — wicked- 
ness, incurable by any human means. 

In this discourse we propose to treat of the 
exceeding deceitfulness of the heart; and may 
treat of its desperate wickedness at another time. 

That is properly called deceitful which presents 
objects in a false light, or leads to a misconception 
of the nature of things within us and around us. 
And that is properly called deceitful, which con- 
ceals its own true character, and assumes the 
appearance of what it is not. 

1. One of the ways in which the deceitfulness of 
the heart manifests itself is in its tendency to blind 
the understanding in regard to religious truth. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 163 

It is certainly a matter of primary importance, that 
our views of the doctrines and precepts of religion 
be correct. True religion is distinguished from 
superstition on one side, and enthusiasm on the 
other, by this, above every other criterion, that it 
is founded in just intellectual conceptions of the 
great truths of divine revelation. All pure and 
holy affections toward God, in which the very 
essence of religion consists, must be excited by 
correct views of the divine attributes ; and all good 
conduct proceeds from good motives or pure affec- 
tions. To have the mind darkened with ignorance, 
or perverted by error, is inconsistent with the exer- 
cise of holiness, or the practice of true virtue. 
Evidence is always on the side of truth; but that 
evidence may be overlooked, or so distorted, that 
the truth may not be perceived, and instead of it 
error may be embraced and defended as truth. 
The reason why the minds of men reject the truth 
is, the depravity of the heart. " This is the con- 
demnation, that light is come into the world, and 
men loved darkness rather than light. A deceived 
heart hath turned them aside." The grossest 
errors of idolaters are traced by the apostle Paul, 
to a wrong state of heart. " When they knew 
God, they glorified him not as God, but became 
vain in their imaginations." And it is a principle 
in the government of God, that men who love not 
the truth, and deliberately turn away from it, are 
given up to judicial blindness, and to the dominion 
of sin. So, when the conduct of the heathen is 
described by Paul, and their voluntary attachment 
to idolatry in preference to the worship of the true 



164 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

God, he adds, " Therefore, God gave them up to 
uncleanness." And in another place he says, 
" Because they received not the love of the truth, 
that they might be saved. And for this cause, 
God shall send them strong delusion, that they 
should believe a lie, that they all might be damned, 
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in 
unrighteousness. ' ' 

Infidelity, and every species of dangerous error, 
may be traced to the deceitfulness of the heart. 
If men possessed good and honest hearts, they would 
search diligently for the truth, and would be dis- 
posed to judge impartially of its evidence ; and, as 
was said, evidence being on the side of truth, and 
the truth congenial with the moral feelings of the 
upright mind, it would always be embraced. Athe- 
ism itself is a disease rather of the heart, than of the 
head. And idolatry, which darkens with its por- 
tentous shadows a large portion of our globe, owes 
its origin to the deceitfulness and wickedness of the 
human heart. It was not for want of evidence that 
men apostatized from the worship of the true God 
to idolatry ; " for the invisible things of him from 
the creation of the world are clearly seen, being 
understood by the things that are made, even his 
eternal power and Godhead ; so that they are with- 
out excuse. Because that when they knew God, 
they glorified him not as God, neither were thank- 
ful, but became vain in their imaginations, and 
their foolish heart was darkened.'' 

The influence which the dispositions of the heart 
have on the judgments of the understanding, to 
pervert them, is a matter of daily observation. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 165 

The connexion between truth and holiness is so 
intimate, and also between error and sin, that even 
in minor deviations from the true doctrine, if we 
could trace it, we should find that every obliquity 
of this kind produced a corresponding effect on 
the moral character of the person. 

2. Again, the exceeding deceitfulness of the heart 
appears in the delusive promises of pleasure, which 
it makes, in the indulgence of sinful desires. This 
illusion probably arises from an original principle 
of our constitution. Had man continued upright, 
this expectation of pleasure would never be disap- 
pointed. For then the supreme affections were 
fixed on God, in whom there is an infinite fulness 
to satisfy the desires of every creature. But now, 
when the heart is turned away from God, and the 
supreme love of the heart placed on the creature, 
it is no wonder that continual disappointment of 
our expectations of happiness in the indulgence of 
our desires is experienced. This is so uniformly 
the fact, that it is a common remark, that men 
enjoy more pleasure in the pursuit of the objects 
of the world, than in their possession. This 
delusion of pleasure in prospect, particularly affects 
the young. "With them experience is wanting, 
which serves to correct this error of the imagina- 
tion ; but even experience is insufficient to cure the 
disease. Men, w T hen disappointed in one pursuit, 
commonly turn with unabated ardour to another ; 
or they attribute their want of enjoyment to some 
wrong cause, and still press on in the fond expec- 
tation of realizing their hopes in some other pur- 
suit. Vain expectation ! They are deluded by an 



166 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

unsubstantial image which will for ever keep at 
the same distance before them, and constantly 
elude their ardent hopes. The experience of all 
who have gone before, testifying that all results in 
vanity and vexation of spirit in the possession of 
earthly good, has no effect to communicate wisdom 
to those who come after them. The young gene- 
ration run off in the mad career with as sanguine 
hopes of happiness, as if no one had ever been 
disappointed. And in this matter, the world does 
not become wiser by growing older. 

There is another deception of the heart which 
has relation to the indulgence of natural desires. 
The person may be apprehensive at first, from 
former experience, that some evil to soul or body 
may arise from unlawful indulgence. A pause is 
produced, and hesitation is felt; but appetite, when 
strong, pleads for indulgence, and is fruitful in 
pleas; among which none is more false and deceit- 
ful, than that if gratified in this instance, it will 
never crave indulgence any more. And this false 
promise often prevails with the vacillating sinner ; 
and he plunges into the gulf, which is open to 
receive him. For the former deception of the 
imagination, prior to experience, there seemed to 
be some plausible pretext; but for this, there is not 
the shadow of a reason. That any desire or 
appetite should be eradicated by indulgence, is 
contrary to all experience. It is a law of our 
nature, obvious to all, that every affection is 
strengthened by exercise, and every appetite be- 
comes stronger by being freely gratified. Yet 
this deceitful plea is made again and again, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 167 

" Yield but in this one instance, and you shall 
never be solicited again." After this single indul- 
gence, says the craving appetite, you may be for 
ever obedient to the dictates of conscience. 

Under the influence of an evil heart, every thing 
appears in false colours. Not only does error assume 
the garb of truth, but piety itself is made to appear 
odious. Indeed, there is nothing upon earth, which 
the carnal mind hates so truly as holiness. But as 
that which appears good cannot be hated, one art 
of the deceitful heart is, to misrepresent the true 
nature of piety and devotion. The fairest face 
when caricatured, becomes deformed, and appears 
ludicrous. Wicked men are accustomed always 
to caricature true religion, that they may laugh at 
it, and despise it. One thing which assists very 
much in leading to this result is, the employment 
of deceptive terms. Men are very much governed 
by words. Call any man, however dignified and 
excellent, by some name, associated with the 
ludicrous and contemptible, and you will never 
think of him but with ridicule or contempt. Thus 
men of the world are accustomed to call true 
religion by the names of enthusiasm, fanaticism, 
superstition, bigotry, or hypocrisy. Now, as all 
these are odious things, the application of these 
names to the best thing in the world, has the 
effect of blinding the minds of those who use these 
terms; so that, though in their sober judgment, 
they cannot but know that religion is necessary 
and excellent in its nature ; yet, by means of this 
trick of the deceitful heart, they come by degrees 



168 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

to despise or contemn every profession and appear- 
ance of religion. 

And this result is more effectually produced by 
false reasoning; as when, from one instance of 
manifest hypocrisy, the inference is drawn that all 
professors of religion are hypocrites; or when, 
from one false step in a good man, it is concluded, 
that all his actions have proceeded from impure 
motives. The deceitful heart not only suffers such 
reasonings to pass, but sanctions them as though 
these were the legitimate conclusions of the 
soundest logic. 

By the same abuse of words and sophistical 
reasoning, vice is often dressed up in the habili- 
ments of virtue; and the foulest passions of our 
nature are dignified with names importing a virtu- 
ous or innocent feeling. Thus revenge which 
prompts a man to imbrue his hands in the heart's 
blood of a friend, for an inadvertent word, or some 
other trifling offence, is denominated honour; and 
the guilty murderer reeking with a brother's blood, 
is received into the society of the world as an hon- 
ourable, though it may be thought, an unfortunate 
man. Pride seems now scarcely to seek the 
disguise of another name. All that is required is 
some epithet, such as an honest pride ; such pride 
as leads a man to respect himself. Sometimes, 
indeed, bad words are used in a good sense ; thus 
the words pride and ambition, though properly 
expressive of evil passions, are frequently employed 
to signify feelings which are not blamable; but 
this is a dangerous practice. It brings virtue and 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 169 

vice too near together, and obscures and perplexes 
the boundaries which separate them. A woe is 
denounced against those who thus attempt to con- 
found good and evil. " Woe to them that call 
evil good, and good evil; and put darkness for light, 
and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, 
and sweet for bitter." 

The deceitfulness of the heart is also exceedingly 
manifest in the false pretensions which it makes, 
and the delusive appearances which it assumes. 
And this deceitfulness not only imposes upon 
others, but upon the person himself. Under this 
delusion, men persuade themselves that they are 
not wicked, but that their hearts are good. Their 
virtues, or semblance of virtues, are magnified, 
when seen through the false medium of self-love ; 
and their vices are so diminished, that they are 
either not seen, or appear as mere peccadilloes, 
scarcely deserving notice. Such persons are also 
deceived as to their own wisdom. They are 
described by the pen of inspiration, as " wise in 
their own conceit." They think that they know 
much, when in truth " they know nothing yet as 
they ought to know." And such a blinding influ- 
ence has the deceitful heart on many, that they 
imagine that they possess virtues or qualities 
worthy of admiration, which all their acquaint- 
ances know they are utterly destitute of. This is 
the case with boasters, and vain braggarts. But 
the most dangerous form of this deceit is, when 
persons, never converted or renewed, are induced 
to believe that they are saints. They even esteem 
themselves superior to those who are truly pious, 

22 



170 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

and make a flaming profession of religion before 
the world, while pride, covetousness, lust, or envy, 
are predominant in their hearts, and too manifest 
in their lives. Evidences of the dominion of sin, 
which would lead them to entertain a certain 
opinion that another was still in the gall of bitter- 
ness and bond of iniquity, have not the effect to 
shake their good opinion of their own spiritual 
condition. This dangerous treachery of the heart, 
not only misleads the hypocrite to his ruin, but all 
careless men and women are under its control, as 
it relates to their future course in regard to religion. 
They all purpose at some future time to repent and 
reform, and are fully persuaded, that when a con- 
venient season arrives, they will do so. Now, all 
these promises and hopes of future repentance and 
amendment, arise from a deceitful heart. The 
true cause of the neglect of religion at present, is 
an aversion to spiritual things, and this disposition 
will prevent them from attending to religion, at 
any future time ; and with every day will become 
more inveterate. The deception consists in this, 
that the person seeing the importance and moral 
obligations of piety, conceives that that indisposi- 
tion to God's service, which is now felt, will be 
diminished by time ; or rather that it will not be 
felt at a future time. Every resolution or promise 
of any unconverted man or woman, of future repent- 
ance and reformation, is an instance of the deceit- 
fulness of the human heart. This is remarkably 
verified in the case of those persons who are 
alarmed with the prospect of death, when laid on a 
bed of sickness. How often do such promise that 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 171 

if God will only spare them, and restore them to 
health, they will serve him to their dying day. 
But no sooner is returning health enjoyed, than all 
these promises are forgotten, or disregarded. 

Again, the deceitfulness of the heart is manifest 
in the good which we promise ourselves that we 
will do in future. At present there are impedi- 
ments which stand in the way of doing the good 
which we intend to do hereafter. When we look 
back on our past lives, and see many opportunities 
of doing good, which have been neglected, we feel 
regret; and when we look forward, we flatter our- 
selves that we shall be much more active and 
benevolent, much more watchful and zealous, than 
we have been. But the true test of character is, 
what we are actually doing at the present time. 
Do we now, from day to day, do all the good which 
is in our power? Do we now improve our time 
and talents to the utmost ? Do we now seek the 
happiness of all who are near to us, and use every 
practicable means for their salvation? If we do 
not, then does our heart deceive us, as to its own 
real disposition. The apparent penitence for not 
having done what we ought, in time past, is not 
genuine; or we should immediately reform, and 
begin at once to do the good which is now in our 
power. The confidence that we shall do better 
hereafter, is a vain self-confidence which will never 
be realized in fact; for if there was in us a sincere 
disposition to do the good hereafter, which the 
heart promises, we would not neglect the oppor- 
tunities and calls to well-doing, which are present 
to us every day. The reason of this dangerous 



172 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

mistake is, that when we contemplate duty at a 
distance, either in the past or future, we view it 
abstracted from those circumstances which always, 
in fact, accompany it. We consider the obligation 
and the goodness of the act, and so its beneficial 
consequences; but forget the self-denial and pain 
which may be required in its performance. From 
the same cause, men are ever deceiving themselves 
in relation to the conduct which they would pursue, 
if placed in circumstances entirely different from 
those by which they are surrounded. The poor 
man thinks, if he was rich, he would not act as rich 
men within his knowledge do. He would be bounti- 
ful to all around, would aid in every benevolent 
enterprise, and regard the wants and sufferings of 
the indigent and distressed. But these are all 
deceitful thoughts. Thousands of instances are 
found to prove that men are always deceived in the 
ideas which they entertain of the course which they 
would pursue in untried situations. And they 
might be convinced of this, as before, by the mere 
examination of themselves, as to the good which 
they are actually doing with the means in their 
hands, and the opportunities at present afforded. 

Another way in which our hearts deceive us is, 
by leading us to judge of ourselves, not by a strict 
scrutiny into our real motives, but by viewing our 
character through the medium of public opinion; 
or through the favourable sentiments of our partial 
friends. When men are aroused by some calumny 
to come forward and vindicate themselves from the 
obloquy cast upon them, they commonly make it 
evident, that they assume as their true character, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 173 

the estimation in which they have been held by 
the community. But every man might know, that 
this is a false and foolish method of judging of his 
own character. He may be conscious, that the 
actions which have gained for him a reputation 
among men, have not proceeded from pure motives. 
He might know, if he would impartially examine 
himself, that where good motives have predomi- 
nated, there has been so much of a sordid and 
selfish nature mingled, as greatly to detract from 
their value; and which, if known to the public, 
would much depreciate the reputation vdiich he 
has acquired. 

The pain of contemplating our moral defects 
causes us to turn our attention from them, and to 
seek relief in some more favourable aspect of our 
character, and this is found in the good opinion of 
others. 

REFLECTIONS. 

1. If the heart be so exceedingly deceitful and 
wicked, we should be deeply humbled before God 
that we have hearts so evil. Men are prone to 
boast of the goodness of their hearts, even when 
their lives are immoral. But this is a most mani- 
fest instance of the deceitfulness of the heart, 
which leads them to entertain an opinion, not only 
contrary to the word of God, but contrary to the 
principles of nature, which teaches that the tree 
must be judged of by its fruit; and a fountain, by 
the streams which issue from it. In particu- 
lar, most men claim to be sincere and free from 
deceit; but so far is this from being true, that the 



174 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

heart of every man is by nature deceitful; yea, the 
most deceitful of all things. Mankind know not 
their ownselves. They have not proved them- 
selves by the test of God's word; and, therefore, 
they know not what manner of spirit they are of. 
If the dark and denied chambers of their hearts 
were laid open to the light, it would be like open- 
ing a sepulchre. They would begin to see their own 
vileness, and like Job, would abhor themselves and 
repent in dust and ashes. 

2. If the heart be so deceitful, we should place 
no confidence in it. " He that trusteth in his own 
heart," says Solomon, " is a fool." It is a charac- 
teristic of the true Christian, to put "no confidence 
in the flesh." That the heart of a man is not to 
be trusted, however fairly it may promise, is 
evident from the thousands of broken vows and 
promises which men make in sickness and danger, 
or when urged by the demands of an awakened 
conscience. Even Christians are often deceived 
by the fair, but false promises of their own hearts. 
How often do they resolve and promise that they 
will live nearer to God, will be more diligent and 
faithful in the discharge of duty, and make more 
frequent and vigorous efforts to rescue perishing 
sinners from the ruin to which they are approach- 
ing! But too often these promises and resolutions 
are forgotten, or only remembered to be neglected. 

3. If the heart be so deceitful, it should be 
watched with care. Even in the sacred duties of 
religion, it will be prone, like a deceitful bow, to 
start aside, and the thoughts will wander far away 
from the object which should engage their attention. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 175 

If, then, we would guard against trie deceitfulness 
of the heart, we must give heed to the exhortation 
of the wise man, " Keep thy heart with all diligence, 
for out of it are the issues of life." We must 
watch, as well as pray, and watch unto prayer. 
Besides, we must endeavour to obtain a more 
thorough knowledge of our own hearts. In order 
to do this, we must examine our hearts with 
assiduity ; and not content with this, we must beg 
of God to search and try us. For, " who can 
understand his errors?" And in the words follow- 
ing our text, w T e learn, that God only knows the 
human heart; for the question is asked, "Who can 
know it?" And immediately it is added, " I, the 
Lord, search the heart and try the reins, even to 
give every man according to his ways, and accord- 
ing to the fruit of his doing." Unless the Lord 
help us to keep the heart, our own labour will be 
in vain. 

4. From the state and character of the heart here 
given, we may infer the necessity of a change of 
heart; and every one should be led to cry to God 
for renewing grace. " Create in me, O God, a clean 
heart, and renew a right spirit within me." And 
as this work of renovation is not perfected at once, 
we should strive mightily in the use of appointed 
means " to grow in grace, and in the knowledge 
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." As the 
word is the appropriate means of sanctification, we 
should be much in reading and hearing the word ; 
and as the word will be ineffectual without the 
Spirit, we should pray without ceasing for the gift 



176 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

of the Holy Spirit, that our minds may be enlight- 
ened, purified, strengthened, and comforted. 

5. We should come often to the fountain which 
is opened for sin and uncleanness. We need both 
the purification of blood and of water. And Christ, 
our crucified Redeemer, emitted from his side a 
double stream of blood and water, emblematic of 
the double cleansing needed by the sinful soul; 
and the means of both which were secured by his 
death. Let us, then, look to Christ by faith, let us 
come to " the Mediator of the new covenant, and to 
the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better 
things than the blood of Abel." 

6. And finally, if any of us have been made 
sensible of the deceitfulness and wickedness of our 
hearts, and have, in some degree, been delivered 
from this great evil of our nature, this change we 
are sure, has not proceeded from ourselves. A heart 
deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, 
can never reform itself. There is in it no principle 
from which a true reformation can proceed. If, 
then, there is in any of us a heart which has some 
good thing in it, it is not from nature, but from 
God — "from the Father of lights from whom 
cometh down every good, gift, and every perfect 
gift;" therefore our warmest gratitude is due to 
him ; and our whole lives should be one continuous 
expression of thankfulness. 



SERMON XIII. 



WICKEDNESS OF THE HEART. 



The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.- 
Jer. xvii. 9. 



Having in our former discourse treated of the 
deceitfulness of the heart, I now come, in the 
second place, to speak of its " desperate wicked- 
ness." Indeed, these two qualities of the heart are 
so intimately connected that they involve each 
other. If the heart is deceitful above all things, it 
must be wicked ; and if it is " desperately wicked," 
it must be deceitful ; for all sin originates in false 
views of things. There does not, therefore, seem 
to be much need to discuss the latter part of the 
text separately, to produce a conviction of the truth 
there asserted ; but a mere conviction of a truth is 
not enough. We need to have some truths set 
before us with much particularity, that by long 
and patient contemplation of their nature, our 
hearts may be suitably affected by them. And 
there is no truth to which this remark is more 
applicable than to the one now under consideration ; 

23 177 



178 PRACTICAL' SERMONS. 

for it is one, the distinct contemplation of which 
gives pain, and from which the mind turns away 
with an instinctive aversion. Hence, few persons 
can be induced patiently and impartially to view 
their own moral features as portrayed in the Holy 
Scriptures. And hence, the astonishing ignorance 
of their own hearts, which prevails among men, 
and even among church-going people,. Moreover, 
a distinct knowledge of our own hearts, as to their 
moral condition and character, is of the utmost 
importance to our spiritual welfare. In bodily 
diseases we may have the remedy applied and be 
healed, without knowing the nature of the malady ; 
but in spiritual diseases this cannot take place, 
according to the ordinary method of salvation; 
because the remedy is here applied by faith, which 
is the act of an intelligent mind, by which we, 
feeling the malignity of our disease, cannot be 
satisfied until we apprehend the true and only 
remedy which the mercy of God has provided in 
the gospel. 

Let us, then, again attempt to remove the 
covering from the human heart, that we may take 
a view of its desperate wickedness ; and in order 
to this, I would observe, that the truth contained 
in this part of the text, will appear more manifest 
by considering : 

1. The universal prevalence of wickedness in 
the world, in all countries, and in all ages That 
crimes of every kind have ever abounded, every 
man who has the least acquaintance with the 
world, knows by his own observation. No man 
needs to travel far to obtain the evidence of this 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 179 

fact ; it stares him in the face every where, in town 
and country, among the rich and the poor, the old 
and the young. A great part of the business of the 
world has relation to the existence and prevalence 
of crimes; either to prevent, to guard against, 
or to punish them. Our laws, our courts, our 
prisons and penitentiaries, our locks and bars, our 
munitions of war on sea and land, are all evidences 
of the wickedness of man. No nation legislates on 
the principle, or with the expectation, that men 
will not be found wicked. Indeed, civil govern- 
ment itself owes its origin to the necessity which 
exists of guarding against, and coercing the wicked- 
ness of the people. We need only look into our 
criminal courts, or into our newspapers, to be con- 
vinced that wickedness is not confined to former 
ages, or to be witnessed only in heathen countries, 
but marches with a bold front through every Chris- 
tian land ; often too, in defiance of all laws, human 
and divine. What crime can be conceived, which 
the depravity of man has not led him to perpetrate ? 
Yea, crimes which are so abominable as scarcely to 
have a name, are committed by many. Blasphe- 
mies, murders, robberies, thefts, frauds, adulteries, 
tyranny, oppression, pride, luxury, intemperance, 
impurity, envy, hatred, deceit, with others too 
numerous to be mentioned, are common and notori- 
ous in every country. And while the beauty and 
order of society are continually disturbed by open 
wickedness, the greater part of the foulest actions 
of men are covered with the veil of darkness. 
They are committed in secret where no eye but 
that of the omniscient Jehovah sees the enormity 



180 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

of the crime. At the day of judgment, when all 
these works of darkness shall be brought to light, 
the assembled universe will be struck with sur- 
prise at the multitude and enormity of the crimes 
perpetrated by the children of men. Now, whence 
do all these iniquities proceed but from the human 
heart? That fountain must, indeed, be corrupt 
which sends forth such poisonous streams. That 
tree must be, indeed, evil which produces such 
fruit. Heathen writers, as well as Christian, give 
testimony to the fact, that men are desperately 
wicked. What is history, but a record of the 
crimes of men ? And not only historians, but poets 
and satirists among the heathen, paint the depravity 
of man in the most frightful colours. And all 
modern travellers of veracity, and especially mis- 
sionaries, unite in testifying that the picture of 
human nature, drawn by Paul in his epistles, is an 
accurate delineation of the present condition of the 
whole Pagan world. And alas ! nominal Christians 
are but little better. Indeed, considering their 
light and privileges, their guilt is much greater. 
Although various circumstances make a differ- 
ence in the moral characters of men, yet all are by 
nature depraved; all have gone astray like lost 
sheep. " There is none that doeth good, no, not 
one. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, 
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false-wit- 
ness, blasphemies. " (Matt. xv. 19.) 

2. The desperate wickedness of the heart will 
appear also, if we consider its aversion to God and 
holiness. If the heart were not depraved, it would 
naturally be disposed to reverence and love the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 181 

great Creator; for his character is most excellent, 
and our obligations to him are infinite. We owe 
every thing to him. We are indebted to him for 
our existence and all our faculties, and capacities 
of enjoyment. Every good gift has come down 
from the Father of lights, and an ingenuous, pure 
heart would be filled with unceasing gratitude to 
such a Benefactor, and would continually cele- 
brate his praise. But is this the fact in regard 
to the majority of men ? Is it so in regard to any 
man, until renewed by the grace of God? Let 
conscience testify. We need no other witness. 
This enmity to God is the true cause of all the 
abominable idolatry of the heathen world. They 
did not like to retain God in their, minds. " And 
when they knew God, they glorified him not as 
God." This too, is the true source of the obstinate 
unbelief of the Jews. The Son of God exhibited 
the true characteristics of the promised Messiah; 
but then "he was holy, harmless, undefiled, and 
separate from sinners;" and showed no indulgence 
to the pride and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, nor to 
the infidelity of the Sadducees; but faithfully 
reproved their vices; therefore they conspired to 
take away his life. Nothing is so offensive to a 
depraved heart as a perfect example of holiness; 
for even when the conscience is compelled to 
approve it, the heart turns away from it with 
hatred. If we search also the true grounds of the 
Mohammedan religion which has subjugated so 
large a portion of the world, we shall find that it 
originated in a dislike to the holy character of 



182 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Christianity, and a desire to have a religion accom- 
modated to the taste of the depraved heart. 

But we need not go to the heathen, to the unbe- 
lieving Jew, or to the deluded Mohammedan, for 
witnesses of this truth, that the heart of man by 
nature does not love God and holiness. We have 
proofs enough nearer home. We have them in 
every congregation, in every family, in every child. 
Let those who deny the native depravity of man 
answer this question: Do men, generally, who 
have the opportunity of knowing the true character 
of God, love it as the angels do in heaven? Do 
they love it at all ? If they do, would they not all 
be found zealously engaged in glorifying God by 
worshipping him in his earthly temples ? Would 
they not be found in constant and cheerful obedi- 
ence to his will ? Alas ! alas ! the proof is too 
plain, that men do not naturally love God, or take 
delight in his service. 

Men are not commonly as sensible of the guilt 
contracted by sins of omission, as of commission ; 
but where the heart is utterly destitute of love to 
God, it cannot be otherwise than totally depraved, 
although restraints may have been laid upon it, 
which have prevented it from acting out the wick- 
edness which is concealed within. 

3. Another evidence of the desperate wickedness 
of the human heart is, that it never grows better, 
or makes any true reformation of itself; but, on the 
contrary, grows worse and worse, as long as it is 
left to the influence of its own corrupt principles. 
Some diseases of the body have their period and 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 183 

what may be called their natural course, and when 
they have spent their force, come to an end; but 
nothing like this takes place in regard to the 
wickedness of the heart. The natural period of 
this awful disease is unlimited — it is eternal. It is 
a fever which never ceases to burn, and is never 
extinguished by an accidental cause; but increases 
continually in its malignity. The young sinner 
who is just commencing a course of iniquity, will 
soon grow up to a maturity in vice ; but still, unless 
grace prevent, his course will be onward and down- 
ward, in the paths of sinful indulgence. In the 
former discourse on this text, we have seen, that 
all the promises which the heart makes of ceasing 
from sin, and of amendment of life, are deceitful. 
And for aught that appears, this fearful progression 
in vice, will not cease with the death of the body ; 
but when those restraints, which, in this world, are 
laid, more or less, on all men, are removed, then 
the depraved principle will be acted out, with 
all the heaven-daring iniquity of devils. Then, 
indeed, it will be acknowledged by all that the 
heart of man is deceitful above all things and 
desperately wicked. 

4. But the heart of man, left to itself, not only 
never grows better, but this disease may well be 
called " desperate," because it yields not to the 
most powerful remedies which human wisdom has 
ever invented; but increases in virulence, under 
them all. Since men were multiplied upon earth, 
various remedies have been repeatedly tried; and 
it is not denied, that under some of them, the symp- 
toms appear in a mitigated form; but the core of 



184 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the malady has not been eradicated. Among these, 
early discipline and careful education have been 
considered by some sufficient to reach the seat of 
the disease, and to bring about a radical cure ; but 
the result of impartial examination is, that all the 
discipline and careful training which have ever 
been used, can do no more than skin over the foul 
ulcer of human depravity. A corpse may be so 
dressed and decorated, that it may appear inviting 
to a superficial observer; but when it is approached 
and examined, the cadaverous appearance and 
stench prove it to be a corpse still. Thus, you 
may put a gloss on the foul depravity of human 
nature. You may even paint it with the sem- 
blance of true virtue; but, at bottom, it is still 
selfish, sensual, proud, and at enmity with God. 

Philosophy has also tried her power, and has 
boasted of great achievements; but, while the 
streams from the fountain of human depravity may 
have been diverted into a more refined and secret 
channel, so as to conceal the turpitude of its charac- 
ter, yet its poisonous nature has not been changed. 
Philosophical pride, ambition, and envy are no 
better than intemperance and gross sensuality. 
Morality has been called in to accomplish the 
reformation of human vice; but while the heart 
remains unregenerate, morality is a mere appear- 
ance of good, a mere shadow without substance, 
a tree without a root, a superstructure without a 
foundation. Such morality, though defective in its 
principles and motives, is nevertheless useful to 
society, and should, on this account, be encouraged 
and promoted; but consider as obedience to the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 185 

holy law of God, it is worthless ; and when trusted 
to as a ground of justification, it is even injurious 
by engendering and cherishing a delusive hope of 
heaven. 

Further, the desperate wickedness of the heart, 
not only manifests itself by resisting the influ- 
ence of all human remedies; but that which 
exhibits its inveterate malignity in the strongest 
light is, that it does not even yield to the means of 
reformation which God has appointed. We might 
expect that such motives as the word of God pre- 
sents, would be effectual to produce a change of 
mind, or to bring the sinner to repentance. But, 
no : the heart hardens under the bright beams of 
gospel truth. Indeed, no hearts are so hard and 
perverse as those which have been often addressed 
by the solemn, tender, and persuasive exhortations 
of the divine word. " This," said our Lord, " is 
the condemnation, that light is come into the world, 
and men loved darkness rather than light, because 
their deeds are evil. Ye will not come unto me 
that ye may have life. If I had not come and 
spoken unto you, you had not had sin, but now ye 
have no cloak for your sin." And what is more 
astonishing still, even the inward strivings of the 
Spirit are resisted and quenched. " Ye stiff- 
necked and uncircumcised in heart, ye do always 
resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do 
ye." Therefore, we have the solemn exhortations, 
" Quench not the Spirit. Grieve not the Holy 
Spirit of God." 

5. Again, when the heart appears to be con- 
verted, and a visible reformation takes place in the 
life, after a w T hile these promising appearances, 

24 



186 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

which, like blossoms in the spring, gave ground to 
hope for abundant fruit, are nipped by the severe 
frost, or blasted by the chilling wind, and all our 
hopes are disappointed. The soul was impressed 
by divine truth, and the affections for a season 
warmly excited, but the bitter root of iniquity was 
not eradicated. And though, for a season, under 
these solemn impressions, the virulence of the sin- 
ful principle was not only restrained, but con- 
cealed ; yet as soon as the day of trial and tempta- 
tion comes, all these flattering appearances vanish, 
and the soul, acting agreeably to its true nature, 
breaks out again into open transgression, or assumes 
and keeps up the hypocritical garb of religion, 
while secretly sin is indulged, and the heart is 
under the government of evil passions. In the 
sight of an all-seeing God, no hearts appear more 
desperately wicked, than those which are con- 
cealed from men, by the mask of hypocrisy. As 
our Lord knew what was in man, he could see in 
the Pharisees of his day, the vilest lusts and pas- 
sions, covered under the cloak of religion. The 
people venerated these men for their extraordinary 
piety; but he tore the mask from their hearts, and 
revealed to the people the baseness, malignity, 
envy, and covetousness which reigned within their 
breasts. This they never could forgive, and there- 
fore sought every opportunity to destroy him; and 
at last succeeded by means of the treachery of one 
of his own disciples. Here we have come to the 
highest conceivable degree of human depravity, 
in the crime of Judas, and of the chief priests and 
rulers in "crucifying the Lord of glory." A 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 187 

deeper stain of guilt than that which was here 
contracted, cannot be imagined. Do you say, that 
this was the crime of a few ; and if you had been 
situated as they were, you would not have perpe- 
trated such a bloody crime? In this you do but 
deceive yourselves. Your hearts are as wicked by 
nature as theirs ; and if you have not committed the 
same crimes or as great, it has not been owing to 
your own goodness of heart, but to the favour of 
God's providence, and the inward restraints which 
he has graciously laid upon you. Left, as they 
were, to yourselves, and exposed to the same 
temptations, you would have acted as wickedly as 
the most wicked. "As face answereth to face in 
water, so the heart of man to man." 

6. No severity nor continuance of pain will ever 
conquer or remove the depravity of the heart. 
Many have resorted to self-inflicted tortures,, as 
great as human nature can endure, and have spent 
their lives in crucifying the desires of the flesh; 
and they may have, to a certain degree, succeeded 
in diminishing the ardour of those passions which 
are connected with the animal frame, by emaciat- 
ing the body ; but this did not reach the real seat 
of the malady. It lies far deeper than the flesh. 
When the body shall be put off, then, as was before 
said, the wickedness of man will come to its 
maturity, and he will resemble the devils. A 
mistake respecting the origin of moral evil gave 
rise to this method of counteracting, and endea- 
vouring to eradicate it. Many ancient philosophers 
believed matter to be the cause of all evil; and 
therefore they attempted to destroy sin, by inflict- 



188 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

ing pain on the body. There is nothing in the 
mere endurance of pain which has any tendency 
to eradicate the principle of iniquity in the human 
heart. Afflictions are, it is true, a purifying 
furnace to the people of God, but they are only so 
when accompanied by his effectual grace. We 
often see, in this world, the deepest depravity 
accompanied by the most appalling sufferings. 
The effect of mere pain on the depraved heart is to 
arouse to fury the angry passions of the soul; 
and when there is no hope of relief, the guilty 
wretches, while they gnaw their tongues with 
anguish, look up and impotently blaspheme the 
God that punishes them. The pains of hell, there- 
fore, have no tendency to purge away the dross of 
sin ; but the evil rather grows under these unspeak- 
able torments. And thus we see the unreasonable- 
ness of the idea of a purgatorial fire to purify those 
who died unprepared for an immediate entrance 
into heaven. 

7. Another argument of the desperate wicked- 
ness of the human heart is the power of indwelling 
sin in the regenerate. This body of sin caused the 
apostle Paul to groan, and to cry out, " wretched 
man, who shall deliver me from the body of this 
■ death !" The working of iniquity in the regenerate 
soul produces a continual warfare in every renewed 
heart. " The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and 
the Spirit against the flesh; so that ye cannot do 
the things that ye would;" for, says Paul, "when 
I would do good, evil is present with me ; so that 
the good that I would, I do not, and the evil that 
I would not, that I do." I know there are many 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 189 

who cannot endure the idea, that Paul was here 
describing his own feelings, or those of any 
renewed person. But the truly pious, in every 
age, have had the same sad conviction of inbred 
corruption; and have experienced the same conflict 
between the principles of sin and holiness within 
them. And they have been led by the knowledge 
which they have obtained of their own hearts, to 
yield an unqualified assent to the declaration of the 
prophet in our text. And God, sometimes has 
permitted the truly pious to be overcome by the 
strength of indwelling sin, when left to meet 
temptation without special aid from heaven. A 
number of falls of this kind are recorded in Scrip- 
ture, that in all ages, the desperate wickedness of 
the heart might be made manifest; and that the 
people of God might learn from these examples, 
that their standing is not in themselves, but in the 
grace of God upholding and preserving them in the 
hour of temptation, when Satan is sifting them as 
wheat. No man knows how much iniquity still lies 
concealed in his own heart. Though, by the grace 
of God, the believer may gain many victories over 
the old man within him; yet he may expect to 
experience the violence of his dying struggles, 
until the hour of his full discharge, when with the 
body he will put off all the remains of sin ; which 
should reconcile the believer to the necessity of 
dying ; since, as long as he is in the body, the flesh 
will lust against the Spirit. 

Having taken a brief survey of the desperate 
wickedness of the human heart, let us now, in the 
conclusion, reflect a little on the awful subject. 



190 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

The entrance of sin into the world has entailed 
death on all the posterity of Adam. " As by one 
man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, 
so death hath passed on all men, because that all 
have sinned." Sin is a hereditary disease, which 
we have derived from our first parents. It is not 
worth while to dispute against a fact, the evidence 
of which we have within us and around us con- 
tinually ; neither do we gain any thing by cavilling 
at the justice of God in bringing us into existence 
in connexion with an apostate father. We were 
included in him, and sinned with him, and as he 
was our covenant head, as well as our natural 
father, his sin is legally ours, and we are treated 
accordingly. At any rate we are in a fallen, sinful 
state, and by nature, children of wrath even as 
others. Our wisdom is to inquire with all earnest- 
ness, whether there is any way of escape from this 
horrible pit, where every effort of our own only 
sinks us deeper in the miry clay. If there were 
no remedy, it would be cruel to torment you before 
the time, with a representation of the miserable 
condition into which you are fallen. But there is 
a glorious and effectual remedy; and although it is 
not mentioned in the text, yet the same infallible 
word of God, which shows us our sin and misery, 
points to the only remedy, which is freely offered 
to all, and is efficacious in every case in which it 
has been tried. Though, my hearers, your dis- 
ease is desperate as it relates to human remedies, 
it is not so in regard to God's method of recovery. 
" It is a faithful saying and worthy of all accepta- 
tion, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 191 

sinners, of whom, said Paul, I am chief." Hear 
also the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming to the rebel- 
lious house of Israel, " Though your sins were as 
scarlet they shall be white as snow, and though 
they were red like crimson they shall be as wool." 
And the beloved disciple assures us, that we have 
an advocate with the Father, who is the propitia- 
tion for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the 
sins of the whole world." John also, who saw the 
double stream flowing from his pierced side, testi- 
fies "His blood cleanseth from all sin." " Let us, 
then, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we 
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time 
of need. We need not despair, for it is written, 
" He is able to save to the uttermost, all that come 
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make 
intercession for them." 

But if sin were forgiven, and this desperate 
wickedness of the heart should remain, there would 
still be no salvation. The sinner, thus depraved, 
could enter into no rest, he could enjoy no peace. 
Sin makes a hell wherever it prevails. The unre- 
generate sinner would be pleased to have pardon 
without renovation; but this is a foolish wish. 
" Except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God. Without holiness no man shall 
see the Lord." There must be a remedy for 
inherent depravity, as well as for guilt; and that 
remedy is provided in "the sanctification of the 
Spirit," through the truth. This glorious work of 
grace is going on in the hearts of all true believers; 
and he who hath begun this good work will carry 



192 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

it on to the day of redemption. The peculiar 
people whom Christ hath purchased, he will 
redeem from all iniquity, and make them zealous 
of good works. By union with Christ, every 
believer as a scion grafted on the true vine will be 
enabled to bring forth fruit, and their fruit shall 
remain. They who are enabled to bring forth 
much fruit do greatly glorify their Father in 
heaven, who delights to see these clusters of right- 
eousness on the vine of his own right hand. And 
by letting their light shine around them, others 
also seeing their good works are led to glorify our 
Father in heaven. Let us, then, be truly thankful 
for the gift of the Spirit as well as the Son, for the 
work of each is equally necessary, though of a 
different kind; yet, so intimately connected that he 
who receives the benefit of the one, is never desti- 
tute of the blessing proceeding from the work of 
the other. Yea, further, we only become partakers 
of the benefits of Christ's death, when the work 
of the Spirit has commenced in our hearts ; for it 
is by faith that we are pardoned and justified, and 
this faith is the fruit of the operation of the Spirit 
in the regeneration of the soul. 

Then, my hearers, though your pollution be 
deep, and your stain indelible by all human art, 
yet, behold, the fountain foretold by the prophet, 
has been opened for sin and uncleanness. Come, 
wash, and be clean. And this fountain not only 
cleanses, but refreshes and heals. "Ho! every one 
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. If any man 
thirst, let him come unto me and drink. The 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 193 

Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that 
heareth say, Come, and whosoever will, let him 
come and take of the waters of life freely." 

The truth contained in our text is not so 
thoroughly understood by any, as by the growing 
experienced Christian. As he grows in grace, he 
grows in knowledge of himself; and every day he 
has new evidences of the deceitfulness of his own 
heart, and of the unsearchable depth of his own 
depravity. On this account it is exceedingly diffi- 
cult for him to be convinced that he is making any 
progress in piety; for the sight and sense of his 
own sinfulness increasing with his increase of 
grace, he at first naturally concludes, that he is 
growing worse instead of better; but by reflection 
he finds, that the deeper his convictions of inhe- 
rent depravity are, the humbler he feels and the 
more penitent, and also that his application to 
Christ for healing always bears an exact proportion 
to his sense of the evil of sin within him. He 
learns at length, that what at first he took to be 
an evidence of backsliding, is really a sure sign of 
growth in the divine life; and that, when religion 
declines in his heart, his views of the inbred evils 
of his heart are more obscure, and his feelings more 
insensible. The most advanced Christian needs 
to be constantly on his guard against the treachery 
of his heart. He must watch and pray lest he 
enter into temptation. He never arrives, in this 
world, at a state in which he is in no danger from 
the deceitfulness and wickedness of his heart. 

But the perfect knowledge of the corruption of 

25 



194 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the human heart is never obtained by any one. 
Indeed, we could not bear the full discovery. It 
would overwhelm us completely, and, perhaps, 
destroy us. The unsearchable depth of the heart 
of man is strongly expressed in the words subse- 
quent to our text: "Who can know it? I, the 
Lord, search the heart and try the reins, even to 
give to every man according to his ways, and 
according to the fruit of his doings." 



SERMON XIV. 



CHRIST OUR WISDOM, RIGHTEOUSNESS,' SANCTIFICATION, AND 
REDEMPTION. 



But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us 
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. — 1 Cor. 
i. 30. 



The religion of the gospel is calculated to remove 
every occasion of glorying from the creature. And 
as men are prone to value themselves on account 
of their wisdom and earthly greatness, therefore, it 
pleased God to select his people from that class of 
men who are contemptible in the eyes of the world. 
Paul says to the Corinthians, who dwelt in a city 
where there was much learning and wealth, " Ye 
know your calling, brethren, how that not many wise 
men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many 
noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish 
things of the world to confound the wise ; and God 
hath chosen the weak things of the world to con- 
found the things which are mighty; and base 
things of the world, and things which are despised, 
hath God chosen; yea, and things which are not, 
to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh 

195 



196 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

should glory in his presence. " He then proceeds 
to show, that the salvation of which they were 
made partakers, was entirely of the Lord. Their 
union to Christ was a privilege for which they 
were entirely indebted to God. They did not first 
love him, but he loved them. " Ye," says Christ, 
" have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." In 
all cases, they who truly believe, are those who 
are " ordained to eternal life." Salvation, from 
first to last, is all of grace; and it is all through 
Christ. Whatever we need, in order to our com- 
plete deliverance from ruin, and the full attainment 
of eternal life, is treasured up in Christ; and we 
are " complete in him." 

1. He is made unto us "wisdom." Wisdom is 
one of the appropriate names of the second Person 
of the adorable Trinity. Before creation, Wisdom 
is represented as being with God, as one brought 
up with him; and even then his thoughts were 
specially directed to this world ; for " he rejoiced in 
the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights 
were with the sons of men." The evangelist John 
seems to have had this passage in his mind, when 
he penned the beginning of the first chapter of his 
gospel ; for the word, of whom he speaks, as being 
with God, and as being God himself, is the same as 
wisdom. " In him was life, and the life was the 
light of men." Christ is the Sun of righteousness, 
from whom, and through whom emanate all the 
rays of divine truth which ever enter the minds of 
men. " This is the true light which lighteth every 
man that cometh into the world." " No man know- 
eth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 197 

Son will reveal him." Christ is that great Prophet 
that should come into the world, like unto Moses, 
whom the Jews expected, but whom they would 
not receive when he actually made his appearance. 
He is the great Teacher, by whose instruction all 
the children of God are brought into the path of 
life. "All thy children shall be taught of God." 
There is no interference in the prophetical office 
of Christ, and the teachings of the Holy Spirit, but 
a perfect concurrence. Christ furnishes the lesson, 
and the Holy Spirit renders it effectual. "He 
shall not speak of himself, but he shall take of mine 
and show it unto you." " Christ execute th the office 
of a prophet, in revealing unto us, by his word and 
Spirit, the will of God for our salvation." In 
him dwell all the -treasures of wisdom and know- 
ledge. Man is endued with reason, but by sin his 
mind has become blind, and reason itself is per- 
verted. He not only needs external light, but to 
have the organ of vision rectified, without which 
the light will shine in darkness, and the darkness 
comprehend it not. Christ becomes wisdom to the 
believer, by making him wise to know the way of 
salvation. He first teaches the sinner something 
of the depth and malignity of his disease. He 
wounds that he may heal. When by the law the 
knowledge of sin is acquired, then he guides the 
convicted sinner to the cross, and opens his eyes 
to behold the Lamb of God. He is not only the 
wisdom of God, as he instructs the ignorant, and 
opens the eyes of the blind; but as the God-man 
Mediator, is the most wonderful exhibition of the 
wisdom of God ever made to the universe. The 



198 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

whole plan of redemption is resplendent with wis- 
dom. The contrivance of a way by which God 
can be just, while he justifies the ungodly, is so 
replete with wisdom, that the angels contemplate it 
with profound astonishment. The gospel, which 
is the revelation of this plan, is, therefore, called 
" the wisdom of God." In this there is a depth, 
which human reason cannot fathom. The apostle 
Paul, therefore, says, " But we speak the wisdom 
of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, 
which God ordained before the world, unto our 
glory." We may, therefore, in the contemplation 
of this subject, exclaim with the apostle, " O the 
depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and know- 
ledge of God!" 

Christ is then of God made uiito us wisdom, in 
a twofold respect; first, as he is the brightest dis- 
play of the infinite wisdom of God ; and, secondly, 
by teaching his people all that is necessary to 
make them wise unto salvation. He teaches them 
what they ought to believe, and what they ought 
to do. 

2. Christ is not only made to believers wisdom, 
but righteousness. By righteousness we should 
understand conformity to the law of God, and the 
act of justification which is founded on such obedi- 
ence. It is much more easy to conceive how 
Christ should become our wisdom, than our justi- 
fying righteousness. The apostle does not mean 
that he works righteousness in us, for that is 
clearly expressed in the next particular. God can- 
not be other than just. He can never view a sinner 
to be any thing else than a sinner. What is done 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 199 

can never be undone. And no act or work can 
render those acts holy which are in their nature 
sinful. Man being a sinner, the vindicatory 
justice of God rendered it necessary that his sin 
should be punished; otherwise, he would deny 
himself, and make an erroneous impression on the 
universe as to his own character. How then, it 
may be asked, is it possible, that a sinner should 
be justified in the sight of God? This problem 
could never have been solved by the wisdom of 
creatures. But by the wisdom of God, the appa- 
rent impossibility has been accomplished. With 
God all things are possible. The method by which 
this is effected is, by making his own Son the 
substitute and Surety for sinners. By imputing 
their sins unto him, and his righteousness unto 
them, a foundation is laid for their justification. 
This is the only ground on which a sinner can be 
just with God. To suppose that the Judge of all 
the earth would pronounce a man who is defiled 
with sin, to be free from all condemnation, and 
entitled to eternal life, considered in himself, is 
utterly incompatible with the divine attributes. Sin- 
ful man can never be justified but by the righteous- 
ness of another, even of that Mediator whom God 
has provided to meet this very exigence. " By the 
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in 
his sight. But now, the righteousness without the 
law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and 
the prophets ; even the righteousness of God 
which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and 
upon all that believe." Sinful man can possibly 
have no justifying righteousness of his own; for if 



200 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

he was chargeable but with one sin, and that the 
smallest conceivable, yet conld he not be justified 
by the law, for the language of the law is, " Cursed 
is every one who continueth not in all things 
written in the book of the law to do them." Man's 
only hope of justification is in Christ. And Christ 
can become the author of his justification in no 
other way, than by becoming his Surety, and 
bearing his sin; and by rendering a full and 
perfect obedience to the precepts of the law. 
His righteousness, thus wrought out, by his holy 
life and meritorious death, can never justify any 
one, unless it be imputed to him, that is, set down 
to his account. And it is imputed to none but to 
those who by faith are united to Christ. There- 
fore, it is said in our text, " Of him are ye in Christ 
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and 
righteousness. There is, therefore, no condemna- 
tion to them that are in Christ Jesus." 

3. Christ is also made sanctification to all those 
who are united to him. He is the author of 
inherent, as well as of imputed righteousness. It 
has often been objected to the doctrine of imputed 
righteousness, that it removes or relaxes the obliga- 
tion to holy living; as man is justified without 
respect to his own holiness. That the doctrine, 
badly understood, has been abused by some, can- 
not be denied. It was so in the time of the apostle 
Paul, for he answers precisely this objection, and 
denies that the doctrine of gratuitous pardon, with- 
out regard to our own obedience, has any such 
tendency. " Do we," says he, " by faith make 
void the law? nay, we establish the law. How 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 201 

shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer 
therein?" As to those antinomians who said, 
" Let us do evil that good may come," he declares, 
that " their damnation is just." 

But, how is Christ the author of sanctification I 
The word sanctification has two senses, but so 
nearly related, that in the end they are virtually the 
same. The first is consecration to God. What- 
ever was thus consecrated or devoted, was called 
holy, and the act by which it was done, was termed 
sanctification. But secondly, it means to makes 
holy, not in a ceremonial, but in a moral sense. 
The word is more commonly used in the former 
sense in the Old Testament, and in the latter, in 
the New Testament. But the latter is very 
naturally derived from the former ; for, when the 
soul with all its faculties and affections is conse- 
crated to God, it is the same as to be made holy 
in a moral sense. The important question pro- 
pounded, how is Christ the author of sanctifica- 
tion ? will be properly answered by saying, that the 
same union by faith to Christ, which makes him 
our justifying righteousness, also constitutes him 
the vital head of every one brought into this near 
relation. In illustration of this, he says, " I am the 
vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, 
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; 
for without me ye can do nothing." So also, he is 
the head, and believers are the members, and as he 
is holy, and the Holy Spirit has been granted to 
him without measure, the same Spirit by which he 
is actuated will flow unto every member of the 
mystical body. Again, he has by his obedience 

26 



202 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

unto death acquired the right and power to send 
the Holy Spirit, which he has promised to every 
one who believes in him. The connexion between 
justification and sanctification is indissoluble; for 
none but a living faith justifies, as the apostle 
James has taught; and a living faith works by love 
and purifies the heart ; so that a man cannot be 
justified by faith without having the work of sanc- 
tification begun in him at the same time. So, 
our blessed Lord, in the commission which he gave 
to Paul to preach to the Gentiles, sent him, "to 
open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to 
light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that 
they might receive forgiveness of sins, and inherit- 
ance among them who are sanctified by faith that 
is in me." These two cardinal doctrines of our 
salvation may be distinguished, but they can never 
be separated. There are, indeed, important differ- 
ences between them, which should be well under- 
stood ; for much evil has arisen from injudiciously 
confounding them together. Justification is an act 
of God altering our relation to the law, and pro- 
nouncing us free from its curse, and giving a title 
to eternal life ; but sanctification is a work within 
us, commenced in our regeneration. The one has 
for its foundation the perfect satisfaction which 
Christ has rendered to law and justice ; the other is 
a work of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of 
Christ within us, purifying us from the pollutions 
of flesh and spirit. 

Moreover, justification is perfected at once, and 
is as complete at the first moment of believing as it 
ever will be ; for ' there is no condemnation to 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 203 

them that are in Christ Jesus :" but sanctification 
is progressive, and is never absolutely perfect in this 
life ; but will be consummated when we leave the 
body. Although our inherent righteousness is not, 
in any measure, the ground of our legal justifica- 
tion ; yet, sanctification is as necessary to salvation 
as justification; for "without holiness no man shall 
see the Lord." Without a renewed nature no man 
is capable of enjoying the felicity of heaven. The 
joys of heaven are holy joys, and the exercises of 
heaven, consisting very much in praise and adora- 
tion, are holy exercises. The society in heaven 
consists of holy persons, and, therefore, none but 
the sanctified can participate in the happiness of 
heaven. Heaven is, therefore, called " the inherit- 
ance of the saints (sanctified ones) in light." 

4. Christ is also said, in our text, to be made 
unto us redemption. This word, I think, must be 
here taken to signify deliverance, complete deliver- 
ance. Captives were often redeemed by the pay 
ment of a ransom-price; and persons of distinction, 
when made captives in war, were redeemed at a 
great price. In this strict and proper sense of the 
term, Christ is truly a Redeemer. He came from 
heaven to redeem his people from the curse of the 
law, and from the bondage of sin and Satan. He 
did not come empty-handed. He came to offer a 
ransom for every redeemed soul. But silver and 
gold would answer no purpose in the redemption 
of the soul and the body of lost man. Nothing 
would answer as a price for this redemption but 
blood — and that blood divine — the blood of the Son 
of God. When his heart's blood was requisite he 



204 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

did not spare it, but freely poured it out for our 
redemption. In this view of redemption, Christ 
was our Redeemer, as obtaining for us deliverance 
from condemnation, and from the bondage and 
dominion of sin ; but this redemption was virtually 
treated of in the last two particulars. The word 
redemption here, then, as was said, is to be taken 
in a more restricted sense, for our final deliverance 
from all the evils which sin has entailed upon us. 
For though the believer is justified, and in part 
sanctified, yet is he surrounded with evils of vari- 
ous kinds, and his body must return to the dust 
and see corruption ; from which it shall not obtain 
deliverance, until the glorious morning of the resur- 
rection. For this deliverance, Paul and his fellow 
Christians groaned within themselves, " waiting for 
the " adoption," which he calls " the redemption of 
the body." A captive ransomed and released from 
bondage in an enemy's country, might have con- 
tracted grievous diseases which it would require 
much time and a painful course of medicine to 
cure ; and he might have a long and difficult jour- 
ney to perform before he reached his father's 
house. He might have to pass through a howling 
wilderness, over rugged mountains, and stormy 
seas ; so that, though fully redeemed, as far as the 
ransom was concerned, and released actually from 
his fetters and manacles ; yet he might never be so 
happy as to reach his home, but might miserably 
perish by the way. The condition of the redeemed 
of the Lord, is, in many respects, similar. They 
are free from condemnation, and the power of sin 
an them is broken; but its remains are, indeed, a 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 205 

deep and inveterate disease, requiring a course of 
painful discipline, and the Christian pilgrim may 
be said to be yet far from his heavenly mansion. 
Before him is a dangerous wilderness, and an 
exceedingly dark and gloomy valley, called " The 
shadow of death." His body rendered mortal by 
sin, must go to the dust, before it can be such a 
body as will be suited to a purified soul, or be fit 
for the Jerusalem above. " Many are the afflictions 
of the righteous." Through much tribulation they 
must enter into heaven. But in one important 
respect, their condition differs widely from that of 
the earthly captive. He is in no danger of perish- 
ing eventually. Christ is the Captain of salvation, 
who has promised to bring him off" conqueror, 
and more than conqueror, through his unchanging 
love. None shall be able to pluck these feeble 
sheep from the faithful hands of their Shepherd. 
No : Christ has declared it : " They shall never 
perish." Hear Paul's triumphant language : " Who 
shall separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall 
tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, 
or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? Nay, in all these 
things, we are more than conquerors through him 
that loved us." 

Although death is inevitable, it shall not ulti- 
mately triumph, for the body shall be redeemed 
from the power of death and the grave. The 
resurrection will be the consummation of the saints' 
redemption. " It is sown in corruption, it is raised 
in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour, it is 
raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is 
raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is 



206 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

raised a spiritual body. Then, this corruptible 
shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put 
on immortality. Then shall death be swallowed up 
in victory," and then shall be sung the conqueror's 
song, " O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where 
is thy victory?" 

We may remark, 

1. The completeness of the plan of salvation 
which the gospel reveals. Here is provision made 
for every spiritual want. Wisdom is provided for 
those who by nature are blind and foolish. They 
are made wise to know the w T ay of life, and they 
receive that wisdom which is from above, " which 
is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be 
entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without 
partiality and without hypocrisy." Being destitute 
of any righteousness of their own, which can justi- 
fy the sinner, they here find in Christ all that the 
law demands ; and, therefore, there is no condem- 
nation to them. "It is God that justifieth, who is 
he that condemneth?" 

Again, being born in sin, and stained with 
innumerable defilements of actual transgression, 
they need to be washed and sanctified, as well as 
justified. By the word and Spirit of Christ, this 
purification is commenced, and carried on gradually 
to perfection. All believers are saints, consecrated 
to God, and delivered from the love and power of 
sin ; and at the appointed time will be made perfect 
in holiness. 

While here, the Christian is subject to manifold 
afflictions and to the death of the body; but he is 
permitted to entertain the blessed and assured hope 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 207 

of complete redemption from every evil which sin 
has introduced. When Christ shall come to gather 
together his elect, his redemption, even from death 
itself, will be complete. Death will be swallowed 
up in victory. 

2. And finally, we should never forget that all 
the blessings of salvation are received through 
Christ. He is the believer's unfailing treasure, from 
whom he derives wisdom, righteousness, sanctifica- 
tion, and redemption. He who possesses these 
cannot fail of eternal life. " He that hath the Son, 
hath life." " And this is the promise which he 
hath promised us, eternal life;" and that life 
they shall for ever enjoy in the presence of, and 
in communion with Christ. 



SEKMON XV. 



THE ONE THING NEEDFUL. 



But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, 
which shall not be taken away from her. — Luke x. 42. 



Our blessed Lord, though he seems to have had 
no place of lodging in the city of Jerusalem, where 
he spent much time, and laboured much for the 
benefit of the people ; yet, had a friendly family in 
the neighbouring village of Bethany, on the Mount 
of Olives, who were glad of the privilege of enter- 
taining so divine a guest. This family consisted 
of three persons, two sisters and a brother; and 
they were surely a happy family, for Jesus not 
only visited them often, but loved every one of 
them; and on one occasion manifested his friend- 
ship by raising the brother from the dead, when he 
had been four days in the sepulchre. Martha and 
Mary, the sisters, were both greatly attached to 
Jesus, but differed in their manner of showing it. 
Martha was solicitous about giving him the best 
entertainment in her power. Mary, in order to 
avail herself of the precious opportunity of obtain- 
208 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 209 

ing divine knowledge, from him who spake as 
never man spake, relinquished all care of domestic 
matters; and as an humble penitent, took her seat 
at the feet of Jesus, drinking in every word which 
proceeded from his gracious lips. The whole 
burden of domestic duties being thus devolved on 
Martha, her temper became ruffled and her spirit- 
vexed at her sister's neglect of her part of the 
duties of the family. She, therefore, complained 
to our Lord of the delinquency of her sister, and 
solicited his interposition. She said, " Lord, dost 
thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve 
alone? Bid her, therefore, that she help me." The 
answer of Jesus is remarkable for its fidelity and 
affectionate tenderness : " Martha, Martha, thou art 
careful and troubled about many things; but one 
thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good 
part, which shall not be taken away from her." 
As there is an evident antithesis between the many 
things which occupied the attention of Martha, and 
the one thing pronounced to be alone necessary, 
several of the ancient interpreters supposed, that 
the contrast was between many dishes which 
Martha was engaged in preparing, and a single 
dish, which, our Lord said, was enough; whereas, 
the real antithesis was between the many objects 
of Martha's attention, and the single object which 
absorbed the attention of Mary; as is evident from 
the following words, " and Mary hath chosen that 
good part," that one thing needful, "which shall 
not be taken away from her." The one thing 
needful, therefore, is the good part which Mary 
had chosen. What then was Mary's choice ? We 

27 



210 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

read, " that she sat at Jesus' feet to hear his words." 
In the general, divine truth, uttered by her Lord, 
was the one thing which engaged her affections; 
and more particularly the gospel of salvation ; or, 
that plan of redemption by which a sinner can be 
reconciled to God, and be restored again, not only 
to his favour, but to his image. As all true religion 
is founded on a knowledge of truth, and is insepa- 
rable from it, the thing needful may be said to be 
the whole of true religion; which is, indeed, one 
thing, although it consists of many branches ; for 
they all may be fairly traced to the spiritual know- 
ledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. We have, 
then, from the text, this important instruction, that 
true religion is needful, and is a good thing, and 
will never be taken away from those who possess 
it. We are, moreover, here taught that true 
religion is a thing of choice; and that possessing 
this, we need nothing else; that is, our eternal 
happiness is secure by this alone, though we should 
be destitute of all other things. Or it may be 
understood that this blessing comprehends all other 
good things, as " godliness has the promise of the 
life that now is, and of that which is to come." In 
accordance with which, Paul says to the Corinthian 
Christians, " All things are yours, whether Paul, or 
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or 
things present, or things to come, all are yours, and 
ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." 

We shall endeavour to show the excellence and 
necessity of divine knowledge with its accompani- 
ments, by several considerations : 

1 . This knowledge is necessary to our reconcilia- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 211 

tion with God. The religion of a sinner must 
necessarily be different from that of an innocent 
being. He who has sinned, has contracted guilt, 
which must be removed by an atonement satisfac- 
tory to divine justice. While sin remains unpar- 
doned, there can be no peace, nor safety to the 
sinner. The law, which is inflexible, denounces a 
curse on every transgressor. " God is angry with 
the wicked every day," and hath declared, that 
" He will in no wise clear the guilty." " The 
wrath of God has been revealed from heaven 
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of 
men." God is a righteous Judge, and hath, in 
many places of his word, declared that every man 
shall receive according to his w T orks. Now, as all 
have sinned and come short of the glory of God, he 
hath concluded all, both Jews and Gentiles, to be 
under wrath, and hath declared that the only hope 
of salvation is in Christ ; " whom he hath set forth 
to be a propitiation for our sins, that he might be 
just and the justifler of him who believeth in 
Jesus." There is no other method of reconcilia- 
tion; " neither is there any other name given 
under heaven, whereby we must be saved;" "for 
other foundation can no man lay than that which 
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Two things then 
are necessary to the pardon and justification of a 
sinner ; first, that an adequate atonement be made 
for sin; and secondly, that the sinner receive the 
benefit of this atonement by the exercise of a 
saving faith. The righteousness of Christ justifies 
no one, until it is set down to his account ; and it 
is appropriated to none, but by faith. Therefore, 



212 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

while we are said to be justified by Christ's blood, 
and freely by the grace of God through the 
redemption that is in Christ Jesus; we are also 
said to be justified by faith. Both these things are 
equally necessary to the pardon and reconciliation 
of a sinner; but on very different accounts. 
Christ's righteousness is the only meritorious 
ground; and faith is merely the instrument of 
reception, or the bond which unites the soul to 
Christ. Now, faith cannot be separated from 
spiritual knowledge. This last is included in it, as 
presenting to the mind all the objects of faith. 
This is saving knowledge. The object of it, or 
truths known, are all indeed contained in the 
revelation of God; but the discernment of their 
true nature — their beauty and their glory — is by 
the illumination of the Holy Spirit, who takes the 
things of Christ and shows them unto us. " This 
is eternal life, to know thee, the only true God, and 
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." 

Certainly, then, the one thing needful for man, 
is the true knowledge of " the way of life." This 
is to him the good part which he has chosen for his 
heritage, and equally needful for all. Of this know- 
ledge, Christ is the sum and substance. There- 
fore, the apostle Paul said, " I determined to know 
nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and him 
crucified." It is in his face we behold the bright- 
est rays of the divine glory; beholding which, " we 
are transformed into the same image, from glory to 
glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord." 

II. The second consideration which serves to 
show the necessity and excellence of the know- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 213 

ledge of divine truth, is, that in this knowledge, 
and the holy affections which flow from it, con- 
sists the highest dignity and supreme excellence 
and felicity of human nature. With this crown 
man was adorned in the day of his creation, 
when he came fresh and beautiful from the hand 
of his Creator. Deprived of this, the intellect of 
man was darkened and perverted. All his affec- 
tions and moral powers became disordered and 
deformed. In the soul of man, thus deprived of 
the divine image, all traces of moral beauty were 
defaced; and man, instead of appearing in the 
likeness of his Creator in which he was made, took 
on the likeness of his greatest enemy. No other 
acquisition or possession can compensate for this 
radical defect. Knowledge and intellectual power, 
without being conjoined with the beauties of holi- 
ness, only render the human nature more odious. 
From this deep degradation, no power can deliver 
us but the power w T hich at first created us. Of all 
the creatures which God produced, in this w r orld, 
man was the noblest ; and of all the endowments of 
man, none was so excellent as the image of God. 
Where this is defaced, to suppose that it could be 
renewed by any but the omnipotent God, would be 
to imagine that the most excellent thing which 
God ever made, could be re-produced by a creature 
— by a sinful worm of the dust. No : we are born 
again, or from above, "not of blood, nor of the will 
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 
" For," says Paul, " God who commanded the light 
to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts, 
to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory 



214 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

of God in the face of Jesus Christ." The image 
of God which is restored in the new creation, is, 
by the same apostle, in one place, described as 
" righteousness, and true holiness." " Put on the 
new man which is created in righteousness and 
true holiness." But in another place he sums up 
the effect of this renovation in the single word 
" knowledge." "And have put on the new man, 
which is renewed in knowledge after the image 
of him that created him." 

The excellence of holiness is so great, that the 
apostle Peter describes it as a participation of the 
divine nature. " According as his divine power 
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life 
and godliness, through the knowledge of him, that 
hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are 
given unto us exceeding great and precious pro- 
mises, that by these ye might be partakers of the 
divine nature" When holiness is manifested in 
the particular virtues of the Christian life, it cannot 
but win the approbation of every mind, not per- 
verted by error, or blinded by prejudice. Even 
when moral goodness is calumniated, it is never 
done as being good, or under the idea of goodness, 
but it must first be caricatured, and misnamed. 
Even the devils know that moral excellence is 
better than sin, for they have experienced the 
effects of both. Holiness is the glory of God, for 
this word expresses the sum of all his moral attri- 
butes. Holiness is the foundation of heavenly bliss 
and glory, the golden pavement of the city of God. 
Without holiness no one can enter into the society 
of heaven. The knowledge which the best attain 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 215 

here, is obscure and imperfect; but there the view 
of divine truth will be perfectly perspicuous. 
"Here, we see through a glass darkly; there, face 
to face." In proportion to our knowledge will be 
our love ; and from this perennial fountain will flow 
uninterrupted happiness. 

III. A third consideration which goes fully to 
justify the choice of Mary is, that the good part on 
which she had fixed her affections, should never be 
taken away from her. However excellent a posses- 
sion may be intrinsically, and however well adapted 
to promote the happiness of the possessor, yet, if it 
continue only for a short time, its value would be 
comparatively small. Or, if it should be liable to 
be lost by the negligence or misconduct of the 
owner, this circumstance would greatly diminish 
its worth. But true religion, when once obtained, 
is never lost; it abideth for ever. God, after 
having bestowed on a dead soul, the principle of 
divine life, will not take it away ; for he is of one 
mind. His purpose of mercy is as unchangeable 
as his being. " The gifts and calling of God are 
without repentance;" that is, without change of 
mind. What he graciously gives, he will not with- 
draw. And though Satan will exercise all his 
malicious arts to overcome and destroy the Chris- 
tian; yet, he shall not be able to prevail; for, "if 
God be for him, who can be against him?" This 
sleepless adversary may indeed frighten the timid 
sheep, and may sometimes be permitted to wound 
and worry them, but the good Shepherd, who has 
given his life for them, will not suffer the weakest 
of them to perish. His word of promise is more 



216 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

stable than the pillars of heaven, and he hath said, 
" My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and 
they follow me. And I give unto them eternal 
life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall any 
man pluck them out of my hand. My Father 
which gave them me, is greater than all, and no 
man is able to pluck them out of my Father's 
hand." 

But, it may be alleged, as religion is a matter of 
choice, it is obviously possible, that what is chosen 
to-day, may, with the same freedom, be rejected 
to-morrow. No doubt, the fall of a pious man is a 
thing in itself possible. Adam and Eve, though 
perfectly holy, fell, and a multitude of holy angels 
fell; and, surely, Christians, who are surrounded 
with imperfection and exposed to numerous tempta- 
tions might fall. This cannot be denied. If be- 
lievers, after their conversion, should be left to de- 
pend on their own strength, their fall and utter 
ruin would be, not only possible, but almost cer- 
tain. But their standing is not in themselves. 
And in this we see the wide difference between the 
covenant of works, and the covenant of grace. In 
the first, salvation depended on the integrity of a 
mutable man ; in the last, on the faithfulness of 
God. " We are kept," says the apostle Peter, "by 
the power of God, through faith unto salvation." 
The question is not, whether the Christian might not 
fall away, if left to himself ; but whether the grace 
of God is not sufficient to keep him from falling ; 
and if so, whether the faithfulness of God is not 
pledged to preserve his sheep from perishing. O ! 
what a triumph would it be to Satan, if he could 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 217 

pluck one of these lambs out of the hands of the 
Redeemer ! 

It is true, if the pious man chose to forsake God , 
he would do it; but, He who at first made him 
willing to embrace the good part, in the day of his 
power, can, by the exertion of the same power, 
influence his will to continue to choose the good 
part. And in this conservatory influence, there is 
no constraint or compulsion. God can sweetly and 
effectually influence the human will, without the 
least interference with human liberty. Man never 
acts more freely than when under the operation of 
divine grace. 

It will be argued, however, that many flourish- 
ing Christians have entirely fallen away. To 
which we answer, that many flourishing professors 
have fallen away, we do not doubt ; but such may 
have been mere hypocrites like Judas, 01 tempo- 
rary believers, like the seed on stony ground, 
who had no root in themselves; therefore, in the 
day of trial, they could not stand, but withered 
away. " Not every one that saith Lord, Lord," 
says Christ, "shall enter into the kingdom of 
heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father 
in heaven." The apostle John teaches us what to 
think of such apostates ; " They went out from us, 
but they were not of us ; for if they had been of us, 
no doubt they would have continued with us." 
Our Lord, himself, at the last day, when such pro- 
fessors will make a plea of their high standing in 
the church, will declare that he never knew them : 
" Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, for I 
never knew you." 

28 



218 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

In conclusion, let all who enjoy the opportunity 
of seeking divine instruction, feel the importance 
of not postponing the concerns of the soul and 
eternity, for the sake of worldly business, or worldly 
honours and amusements. While Jesus is in the 
way and accessible, let all come and take his easy 
yoke, and learn of him, and they shall find rest to 
their souls. 

If a free pardon were offered to a condemned 
criminal, would he plead for longer time to remain 
under condemnation ? If an effectual remedy were 
offered to a sick man, would he be guilty of the 
folly of procrastination, and thus endanger his life ? 
But a greater folly we behold every day, in multi- 
tudes, who have the offer of pardon and salvation, 
if they will repent, and receive Christ as offered in 
the gospel. Yet, though under the sentence of a 
law from which none can escape, they neglect the 
great salvation. They make light of the invitation 
of the great King, if not in words, yet by their 
conduct, and go, "one to his merchandise and 
another to his farm." Or, they make an excuse 
of their worldly pursuits and avocations. To find 
examples of such consummate folly, we have no 
need to go to the pages of ancient history, or to the 
shores of foreign countries ; we have them in large 
numbers among us, who, though they have been 
often called, yet still refuse the gracious invitation 
of the gospel. 

But as we know not at what hour, or by what 
call, God by his Spirit may reach the hearts of 
careless, delaying sinners, it is our duty still to lift 
up the voice of warning — still to call sinners to 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 219 

repentance — and to invite all thirsty souls to come 
to Christ and drink ; and all heavy-laden sinners to 
come to the meek and lowly Redeemer, that they 
may rind rest to their souls. As ambassadors of 
Christ, it is made our duty to entreat sinners, in 
Christ's stead, to be reconciled unto God. We 
are authorized to declare, that " him that cometh, 
he will in no wise cast out;" but the promise of 
eternal life is made to every one who receives the 
Lord Jesus ; that is, who cordially believes on his 
name. Come, then, I beseech you, and seek salva- 
tion in Christ. Break off your sins by repentance, 
and with broken, penitent hearts, approach the 
cross of Jesus Christ. Come and be sprinkled 
with his justifying blood. Speedily lay hold on 
eternal life — let there be no delay. Eternal happi- 
ness and eternal misery are at stake — life and death 
are set before you. " Believe in the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and thou shalt be saved." But if you con- 
tinue to neglect the great salvation, there will be 
no way of escape from wrath. 



SERMON XVI. 



THE LOVE OF CHRIST. 



As Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an 
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. — 
Ephes. v. 2. 



As God is incomprehensible in his eternity, his 
power, his immensity, his knowledge and his 
wisdom ; so is he in his love. 

There is a breadth and length, and depth and 
height, in the love of Christ, which passeth know- 
ledge. But though we cannot comprehend this 
love ; yet we are permitted to know of its existence, 
and of some of its properties, which will now be 
the subject of our contemplation. 

1. The first thing which strikes us as wonderful in 
this love of God is, that it should have sinners as 
its objects. When we consider, that God is infin- 
itely holy — that holiness is his very essence — it 
cannot but strike us, as an incomprehensible thing, 
that depraved and guilty creatures should be from 
eternity the selected objects of divine benevolence. 
For it should be understood and admitted, that for 
God to love sinners with the love of complacency 
220 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 221 

or esteem, is a thing evidently and absolutely 
repugnant to his nature; and therefore impossible. 
But a holy being may love those who are unholy, 
with the love of benevolence ; as this consists, not 
in anv delight in their character, but in a desire 
for their well-being and happiness. Such love 
contemplates the recovery of its objects, not only 
from misery, but from depravity; and their restora- 
tion to the image and enjoyment of God. 

But as the Almighty possessed the power of 
creating with a word, innumerable intelligent 
beings, who might become the objects of his love, 
it is wonderful that he should fix his love on sinful, 
ruined creatures. It could not be merely as crea- 
tures, that men became the objects of this love ; for 
then fallen angels, as being of a nobler nature, had 
a higher claim. But " Christ took not on him the 
nature of angels." Devils were not the objects of 
his love. 

2. Another thing which is incomprehensible in 
the love of Christ to sinners is, that among men, 
all of whom were equally lost and helpless, it 
should select a certain number, as its objects, and 
leave all the rest under condemnation and depravity, 
as they were before. 

If men are the objects of divine favour, why 
a part only? Why not all? especially, as the 
means necessary to redeem a part, are sufficient to 
redeem the whole. 

If those elected were uniformly better than 
those passed by, there would be some small ground 
of making a difference. But this is not the fact. 
Some of the elect, we know, were among the 



222 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

greatest sinners upon earth; and, generally, they 
were no better than others, in heart or life. 

This doctrine of sovereign election is so offen- 
sive to human reason, or rather to human pre- 
judices, that every evasion which human ingenui- 
ty could devise, has been resorted to, in order to 
avoid it ; or so to explain it, that it might be rendered 
more palatable to the children of men. 

The most plausible evasion of the doctrine is, 
that God, who is omniscient, foresaw that a certain 
number of the human race would, in the exercise 
of their free-will, cordially receive the gospel, and 
persevere in obedience until death; and on this 
account they were elected unto life. But this is 
inconsistent with the condition into which the 
human race are sunk; which is one of entire 
depravity, or alienation from God. We might as 
reasonably expect the dead to rise out of their 
graves, by their own power, as that men dead in 
trespasses and sins, should of their own accord, put 
forth any holy act. It is also diametrically opposed 
to the teaching of Scripture on the subject : where 
no such reason is ever offered why certain persons 
were elected unto life, but they are predestinated, 
that they might be holy. They are not chosen, 
because it was foreseen, that they would be holy ; 
but they became saints, because God, in his incom- 
prehensible counsel, was pleased to choose them to 
be heirs of salvation. Their love to God is not the 
cause of his love to them, but the consequence. 
"We love him," says John, " because he first 
loved us." And again, " Not that we loved God, 
but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 223 

propitiation for our sins." When Christ rejoiced 
in spirit, and thanked God that he had hid these 
things from the wise and prudent, and revealed 
them unto babes, he ascribes it entirely to divine 
sovereignty : " Even so, Father, for thus it seemed 
good in thy sight;" and Paul attributes all to the 
"good pleasure" of the divine will. 

3. A third characteristic of the love of Christ is, 
its degree of intensity, which is unparalleled. 
" Greater love hath no man than this," says Christ, 
" that a man lay down his life for his friends;" but 
Paul says, " God commendeth his love toward us, 
in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for 
us." " God so loved the world," says Christ, "that 
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever 
believeth in him, should not perish, but have ever- 
lasting life." The love of the Father and the Son 
is the same ; but the evidence of the love of the 
Son strikes us more forcibly, because he it was 
who became incarnate, and was crucified. He was 
made of a woman, and made under the law, that he 
might be capable of suffering, which as God he is 
not; though some entertain the opinion that the 
divine nature suffered. This, however, seems to 
us inconsistent with the immutability, felicity, and 
absolute perfection of Deity. But the divine and 
human nature constitute but one Person, and 
therefore, it may truly be said that the Son of God 
suffered and died, that is, he suffered and died in 
that nature which was susceptible of suffering and 
death. The intensity of Christ's love is manifested 
by his voluntary giving up his life for the salvation 
of his people. 



224 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

He gave himself for us, says our text, an offering 
for a sweet smelling savour unto God. He was, by 
an oath of the Father, designated to be a priest 
after the order of Melchisedek; and as our great 
high Priest, he must needs have something to 
offer. As Isaac said, My Father, where is the 
Lamb? so we may say, Here is the Priest, but 
where is the sacrifice ? The answer is, "sacrifice 
and offering, and burnt-offering, and offering for sin, 
thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure in them. 
Then said he, Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God. 
By the which will we are sanctified through the 
offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all." 
" This man after he had offered one sacrifice for 
sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God." 
" Such a high Priest became us;" and such a sacri- 
fice was necessary for the salvation of one soul, and 
is in value sufficient for a thousand worlds, for it is 
infinite. 

How exceedingly great was that love, which 
could induce the Son of God to "veil his glory, and 
leave the riches of heaven, to become a poor, 
despised, and sorrowful man ; yea, to give himself 
up freely into the hands of wicked men, who 
maliciously sought his life ! He says, " I lay it 
down of myself, no man taketh it away from me." 
"He humbled himself and took upon him the form 
of a servant, and being found in fashion as a man, 
he was obedient unto death, even the death of the 
cross." 

The efficacy of this sacrifice in procuring recon- 
ciliation is signified in the text, by its being called 
" a sweet smelling savour unto God." God was 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 225 

well pleased with the mediatorial work of his Son. 
A rich reward was given to him for his humilia- 
tion and death. This, we read, he had before him, 
when "he endured the cross, despising the same." 

As the death of the Son was agreed on. in the 
eternal counsels of Jehovah; and as he perfectly 
complied with all the stipulations of the covenant; 
and not only obeyed the law, but endured its curse, 
his work and his offering could not but be pleasing 
to God. 

4. As this love did not originate in time, but, 
from eternity, the delights of the Son were with the 
children of men; so it will never have an end. 
Many waters cannot extinguish it. Whom Christ 
loves, he love to the end. It is an everlasting love : 
" I have loved thee with an everlasting love." If it 
should be alleged, that the objects of this love may 
cause it to cease, by wickedly forsaking Christ and 
becoming reprobates; it may be answered, that 
his grace is sufficient to save from apostasy, those 
whom he has effectually called. " They are kept 
by the power of God through faith unto salvation." 

If, indeed, true believers should ever apostatize, 
they would forfeit the love of Christ; but his 
promise is express, that such an event shall never 
take place. " And I will make an everlasting 
covenant with them, that I will not turn away 
from them to do them good ; but I will put my fear 
in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me." 
Christ prays for them, as he prays not for the 
world : and the Father heareth him always. Again, 
he says, " Father, I will that those whom thou hast 
given me, be with me, that they may behold my 

29 



226 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

glory." United to Christ, and members of his 
body, they cannot perish. 

5. The love of Christ to his people is manifested 
by the revelation which he has made for their 
instruction; by all the institutions of his church 
for their edification; and by all the dispensations of 
his providence, whether afflictive or prosperous. 
But, especially, the love of Christ toward his 
chosen people is evinced by the gift of his Spirit, 
the Comforter, to abide with them for ever. By 
his effectual agency the soul is renewed, and sanc- 
tified, and made meet for the enjoyment of the 
heavenly inheritance. He takes of the things of 
Christ, and shows them unto us, and is a Monitor, 
a Comforter, an Advocate, and a Helper in every 
time of need and of distress. 

6. Finally, the love of Christ to his disciples is 
a tender, condescending love. He deals with them, 
as a mother with a child; carries them in his 
bosom, and gently leads them in the right way; 
and as they are prone, like lost sheep, to stray far 
away from his pastures, he goes after them and 
brings them back. " He restoreth my soul," is lan- 
guage which every disciple has occasion, with grati- 
tude, to use. We see, in the gospel history, clear 
evidence of the forbearance and condescension of 
Christ toward his disciples. Now that he is exalted 
at the right hand of God, he exercises the same 
tenderness and condescension, as the experience of 
every true Christian can testify. Even the tender- 
ness of a mother for her suckling is not sufficient, 
fully to exhibit the tenderness and constancy of the 
love of Christ to his people. This language, by 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 227 

i 

the prophet Isaiah, is remarkable : " But Z ion said, 
The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath for- 
gotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking 
child, that she should not have compassion on the 
son of her womb? Yea, they may forget; yet will 
I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon 
the palms of my hands — thy walls are continually 
before me." The love of God to his people is 
often, in the Old Testament, called lovi?ig-kindness. 
A stronger expression for tender love could not be 
used. 

" The Lord," says the Psalmist, " is merciful 
and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in 
mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he 
keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with 
us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our 
iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the 
earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear 
him. As far as the east is from the west, so far 
hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like 
as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth 
them that fear him." But after all, the love of 
Christ is too great, too wonderful to be comprehend- 
ed. It passeth knowledge. Paul says, " Who 
loved me and gave himself for me." He compares 
the love of Christ to that of a tender husband 
toward his wife. " Husbands, love your wives, even 
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for 
it. So ought men to love their wives as their own 
bodies ; for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, 
but nourisheth and cherisheth it; even as the Lord 
the Church. For we are members of his body, of 
his flesh, and of his bones. This is a great mys- 



228 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

tery, but I speak concerning Christ and his 
church." 

1. The first inference from this subject is, that 
if Christ so loved us, we ought to make all the 
return possible, by loving him supremely, con- 
stantly, tenderly. Love to Christ is the only 
satisfactory evidence we can have that we are the 
objects of his love. We should love him, because 
he has manifested such love to us. If we love 
Christ, we will keep his commandments. 

2. The second inference is, that if Christ so 
loved us as to give himself for us, an offering of 
a sweet savour unto God, we ought to love one 
another, and to walk in love ; for this is the exhor- 
tation of the apostle in our text. To walk in love, 
our minds should be imbued with this holy affec- 
tion. Love should be our aliment — love should be 
our active principle, ever prompting and influenc- 
ing us. Those whom Christ so intensely and 
tenderly loves, we ought to love with a pure heart 
fervently. 

3. The love of Christ should be the constant 
object of our contemplation, and the subject of our 
continual praises. This will make us meet for 
heaven ; for the everlasting song of the redeemed 
is, "To him that loved us, and washed us from our 
sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and 
priests unto God, and his Father, to him be glory 
and dominion, for ever and ever, Amen." 



SERMON XVII. 



LOVE TO CHRIST. 



Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me 1 — John xxi. 17. 



Jesus had now appeared the third time to his 
disciples, when collected together after his* resur- 
rection, and had given them the most satisfactory 
proof, that he was indeed risen from the dead ; for, 
he not only exhibited himself to their eyes in the 
very form and features, to which they had always 
been accustomed ; but he condescended to permit 
them to handle him, that they might be certain 
that it was not a mere apparition, which they 
beheld; and to remove every shadow of doubt from 
the most incredulous amongst them, he ate and 
drank in their presence, as formerly. It was imme- 
diately after a repast of which they had partaken, 
with him, at the sea of Tiberias, that he turned to 
Peter, and three times proposed the question con- 
tained in our text, nearly in the same words ; and 
each time received the same answer, " Lord, thou 
knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee." 

229 



230 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

There was a particular reason why Peter should 
have been thus interrogated. His conduct had 
been such as to render his sincerity suspected. 
He had in the most cowardly and profane manner, 
denied that he knew the blessed Jesus, when he 
was upon his trial before the Jewish court. And 
what added peculiar aggravations to his crime 
was, that a little before, he had solemnly and 
publicly professed that he would die sooner than 
he would forsake his Master. Indeed, at first, 
when the band of soldiers approached to apprehend 
Jesus, he did exhibit considerable signs of courage ; 
for he drew his sword, and cut off the ear of one 
of the high priest's servants ; and then went forward 
to the hall of judgment. But he would have dis- 
covered more attachment to his Master, to have run 
away with his fellows, than to have behaved as he 
did in his presence. No man is equally bold at all 
times. Sudden fits of terror will occasionlly unman 
the. greatest hero. Besides, blustering courage is 
not the most to be depended on. A mild, calm, 
unassuming temper is commonly the most steadfast, 
in the hour of danger. Who would have supposed 
that John, the meek, affectionate, amiable John, 
would have displayed more fortitude in the face of 
death, than the bold, intrepid, self-confident Peter ? 
But so it was, and so it commonly will be, that 
modest firmness will stand the test of real danger, 
better than confident bravery. John was the first 
to follow his Master to the iniquitous tribunal 
where he was condemned ; and it was by his influ- 
ence that Peter was admitted. Well, when intro- 
duced, how does he act ? Does he, fearless of the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 231 

consequences, take his stand by his Master, and 
attempt to soothe him with the tear of sympathy 
and look of compassion ? Does he still express his 
willingness to die with him, and for his sake ? 
What an opportunity he had now to act the most 
dignified and pious part ! But, instead, of this, he 
hides his face, as it were, from him. He is afraid 
lest any body should suspect that he had ever had 
any connexion with him. He skulks among the ser- 
vants, and sits trembling, lest some unlucky acci- 
dent should detect him. His cowardly fears were 
soon realized ; for a maid servant recognized him, 
and charged him with being a disciple of Jesus. 
O ! what a mortifying picture of human nature is 
now before us ! Peter denies his Lord. He is 
interrogated more sharply a second time. Well, 
he has had the opportunity for a little reflection. 
Does he recall his words? No. He denies him 
again. And, horrible to relate ! upon the third 
charge he affects to be in a mighty passion, and to 
his denial adds oaths and curses ! And all this in 
the presence and hearing of Jesus himself! But 
as he turned his face toward his insulted, offended 
Master, he looked upon him with a countenance, 
no doubt, in which indignation and pity, love and 
displeasure, were blended. He looked upon him, 
and this look went moredirectly to his heart, than if 
a dagger had pierced him. It would be impossible 
to describe the mingled sensations, which, at this 
moment, agitated the breast of poor, unfortunate 
Peter. Honest at heart, but too, confident of his 
own powers, he had been left for a moment to him- 
self; and in his weakness we may see our own. 



232 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

In his fall, we may learn what a broken reed human 
strength is ! But the principle of piety, though 
overborne in the moment of trial, is not extin- 
guished. It commonly soon recovers its predomi- 
nant influence, aud frequently exerts itself with 
unusual energy, like an elastic body after having 
been bent out of its proper direction. The falls of 
the pious are, by this, distinguished from those of 
the wicked ; in that, they are soon followed by a 
deep and thorough repentance, by which they are 
restored to their former condition ; but the latter fall 
from one grade of wickedness to another, without 
any experience of that "godly sorrow which work- 
eth a repentance not to be repented of." Peter, 
overwhelmed with his feelings, and unable to con- 
tain himself, went out, and wept bitterly. If he 
spent the whole night in penitential sighs and 
groans, and bitter self-reproaches, it need not excite 
our surprise. Such was probably the fact. 

It is a pleasing reflection, that our Saviour knows 
all things — that he knows the heart. This seems 
to have been Peter's comfort. If it had been other- 
wise, he would have found it no easy matter to 
produce any satisfactory proof of his love. But 
conscious of the sincerity, and strength of his 
attachment, and confident that Jesus knew the 
secret workings of his soul, when asked this pointed 
question, " Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" 
he boldly appealed to his omniscient Saviour, for 
the sincerity of his attachment; "Lord, thou 
knowest all things ; thou knowest that I love thee." 

Love to the Saviour is acknowledged by all, 
to constitute an essential part of the Christian 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 233 

character. To be destitute of this principle, there- 
fore, is a decisive proof, that we are yet in our sins. 
To know that we possess it, is the same thing, as 
to be assured that we are the children of God, the 
heirs of glory. We cannot, therefore, be too par- 
ticular, and cautious in examining, whether we are 
real lovers of Jesus ; for if we love the Son, we love 
the Father, for the Son is the brightness or splen- 
dour of the Father's glory, "the express image of 
his Person." 

Permit me, then, to direct your attention exclu- 
sively to this subject, which will be the more proper 
as the service is intended to be preparatory to the 
reception of the Lord's Supper. 

For the sake of presenting my ideas in the most 
perspicuous form that I am able. I will consider 
the foundation, nature, properties, and effects of 
love to Christ. And may the Lord enable me so 
to speak, and you so to hear, that your souls may 
be edified. 

1. In the first place I propose to speak of the 
foundation of love to God. I do not mean the 
foundation which there is laid for such an affection, 
in the nature and perfections of the object, but the 
state and disposition of the mind, w T hich is neces- 
sary to make it susceptible of the love of God. 

And it may be observed, in the first place, that 
there must be a foundation for such an affection, 
in the original and natural structure, or constitu- 
tion of the soul of man; otherwise it would be 
absurd to require him to love God. He must have 
a capacity to know something of the perfections 
of God, for that cannot be the object of affection, 

30 



234 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

which is utterly unknown : and he must possess the 
natural susceptibility of being moved by affection 
or desire; for a purely intellectual being, if we can 
conceive of such, cannot love, however much it 
may know. The amount of what I mean by these 
observations is, that the being, which is required to 
love God, must be endowed with both intellectual 
and active powers, such as it is evident man does 
possess. 

But we proceed now to observe, what is of more 
importance, that the soul of man may become 
depraved and disordered, so that it shall neither be 
disposed to know or love its Creator. That this 
is the actual condition of our whole race, is proved 
by the testimony of God, and by universal experi- 
ence. " The natural man receiveth not the things 
of the Spirit of God ; they are foolishness unto him, 
neither can he know them, because they are spirit- 
ually discerned." " The carnal mind is enmity 
against God ; it is not subject to his law, neither 
indeed can be." Whilst this depravity continues, 
there can be no love to God, for the idea of a holy 
God, to an unholy soul, must be extremely disagree- 
able. The wicked, that is, all unregenerate men, 
shun the thoughts of a holy God; or, if by any 
means they are led to contemplate his perfections, 
they are filled with disgust and horror, instead of 
love. Their hearts are entirely opposed to such a 
character, and such a being. This is the reason, 
that when Christ came into the world, he appeared 
to men "as a root out of a dry ground;" and still 
appears to the multitude " without form or comeli- 
ness." But it is a maxim in morals that the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 235 

depravity of the subject does not diminish the 
authority of the law-giver, nor furnish any kind of 
excuse for disobedience. For to be depraved is the 
same thing as to be deserving of blame ; and, there- 
fore, the greater the depravity the more inexcusable 
is the sinner. From this view of human nature, it 
is evident that the regeneration of the soul, is abso- 
lutely necessary, as a foundation for the love of 
God. " Therefore," said Jesus, " except a man be 
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." 
" He that loveth is born of God." This renewal of 
the heart is not produced by any human efforts. 
Not by the man himself, for he can only bring into 
action such principles as are within him. Nor by 
any other creature, for another can only address 
himself to the heart by objectively proposing truth 
to the understanding ; but truth, in order to produce 
its effect, requires a correspondent state or temper 
in the mind; so that even the brightest display of 
God's perfections to the understanding of a sinner, 
will only excite greater enmity, as in the devils. 
This change, therefore, is not of " blood, nor of the 
will of the flesh, nor of man, but of God." The 
Spirit of God is the agent ; and in producing it, is 
free, sovereign, and incomprehensible. " The 
wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest 
the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it 
cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every one that 
is born of the Spirit." The effect of this divine 
agency is a new principle or new life ; or a capacity 
of being properly affected with truth when pro- 
posed. This foundation being laid, the love of God 
follows as a thing of course. It is easy, it is 



236 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

delightful, to a renewed heart, to love the Lord its 
God. As this renovation is a necessary foundation 
for the love of God, so the love of God is a satisfac- 
tory evidence of the reality, and genuineness of 
this change. 

2. I proceed, in the second place, to speak of the 
nature of that affection which we call love to God. 
Here I would not have you to suppose that any 
description of an emotion or affection, can convey 
a clear idea of it, to the mind of a person who has 
no experience of it. But, as all men are the sub- 
jects of love to some object, they may form an idea 
of the nature of this affection, when it has God for 
its object. The only reason why any explanation 
is necessary on this point, is, because frequently, 
several distinct exercises, or different affections 
have but one common name, which, in fact, is the 
case with respect to the love of God, for some 
have enumerated several distinct exercises as in- 
cluded under this name. But I think the whole 
may very commodiously be reduced to two heads, 
benevolence, and esteem or complacency. Both of 
these are undoubtedly comprehended in love to 
God, and they are entirely distinct; for the one 
has for its object the happiness of the being beloved, 
and the other terminates on his character or moral 
attributes. Gratitude is only the exercise of one 
or both of these, mingled with self-love. If it be 
unconnected with them, it is merely natural, and 
cannot with any propriety be termed " the love of 
God." It may be inquired how the Deity can be 
the object of our benevolence, since his glory and 
happiness can receive no increase. To this, I 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 237 

answer, that the very same affection, which seeks 
the happiness of another, when it is incomplete, 
rejoices in the happiness of God which is perfect. 
The pions man delights in the thought, that God 
is so great, so glorious, so independent, so happy, 
and so perfectly secure from every danger or possi- 
bility of change. When our friend has attained to 
the object of his and our wishes, our benevolence 
towards him does not become extinct, because we 
do not wish him to rise higher ; but the affection is, 
as it were, satisfied. It rejoices in what before 
was the object of desire. 

Complacency, when God is its object, is a most 
refined, sublime, delightful emotion. It derives 
value from the superlative excellence of its object ; 
and even assimilates the soul itself to the character 
of God. Its strength and perfection depend on two 
principles, viz. the degree of clearness with which 
the attributes of God are perceived, and the degree 
of sanctification to which the soul has attained. 
In heaven, love will be made perfect, and will be 
the source of that pure, soul-satisfying, eternal joy, 
which makes heaven such a delightful residence. 
Faith, hope, prophecy, and every other gift shall 
fail, but love never faileth. 

3. I come, in the third place, to speak of the 
distinguishing properties of the love of God. It 
must be sincere, supreme, disinterested, and con- 
stant. 

1. Sincere love stands opposed to that which is 
not real, but pretended ; and also to that which is 
not pure, but adulterated. 

It is an easy thing to pretend to the love of God. 



238 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

We may profess with our lips, what our hearts 
never felt. We may borrow the very language 
which they use who do love God in sincerity; and 
put on the same external appearance of sanctity 
and devotion, which in others proceeds from the 
love of God ; and yet, all this may be hypocrisy. 
It is the heart which the Lord requires, and not 
fair words, and a specious profession. 

Our love must be rooted in the heart, and not 
confined to the tongue and the lips. The word 
sincere means genuine in the Scriptures. Our 
love to God must be pure, genuine, unadulterated 
love. I do not mean that sincere love is perfect in 
its degree, but it must be pure in its kind. It is 
the more necessary to be particular here, because 
there is much in the Christian world which bears 
the name of the love of God, and yet is spurious. 
The mere stirrings of natural passions, the flights 
of a heated imagination, and even feelings which 
belong almost entirely to our animal nature, have 
been dignified with this name, and many have been 
deceived ; for whilst they have professed themselves 
to be perfect in love, they have been the willing 
slaves of sin. In order to the sincerity of love, it 
must terminate on the true character of God, and 
not upon an idol of our own imagination. • Every 
one is ready to love such a God as suits his own 
character. Let the greatest profligate only be 
persuaded that God is not displeased with sin, and 
that he will never punish him for it, and he will 
love him. This is the source of much deception. 
Multitudes entertain no doubt, but that they love 
God ; yet they have no just conceptions of his true 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 239 

character. They never think of his holiness and 
justice, but only of his goodness and mercy; and 
so they continue at ease in Zion, whilst they are 
" in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity." 

2. But our love to God must not only be sincere, 
it must also be supreme. God will admit of no 
rival in our affections. He is a jealous God, and 
will not give his glory to another. Unless our love 
to God be stronger than our affection to all other 
objects, it will never become a uniform principle of 
obedience ; and it can never entitle us to the 
denomination of the servants of God. The Lord 
Jesus Christ constantly required supreme love in 
those w r ho proposed to become his disciples. If 
any man love father or mother, wife or children, or 
even life itself more than him, he is pronounced to 
be unworthy of him. Many are willing to do 
much, and go far to obtain a seat in heaven ; but 
they are not willing that Christ should reign in 
their hearts. A sinful man will give any thing to 
God, rather than his heart. He has bestowed this 
already, and is unwilling to change the object of 
his affections. A young man of high rank, and 
amiable deportment, came to Christ, and with much 
earnestness inquired what he should do to inherit 
eternal life. Jesus, after some conversation, finally 
told him to go and sell all, and give it to the poor, and 
to come and follow him, and he should have trea- 
sure in heaven. This discovered the true condition 
of the young ruler's heart, for he went away very 
sorrowful, because he was very rich. He loved his 
estate more than he loved his God. Believe me, 



240 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

there are now very many- young men, and old ones 
too, just in the same situation. 

3. Our love to God must be disinterested. It is 
degrading to religion to suppose that its highest 
efforts, and noblest affections are merely selfish. 
To suppose that the desire of our own happiness, is 
the only principle by which man can be actuated, 
goes far towards confounding all distinctions be- 
tween virtue and vice. The greatest sinner, and 
even Satan himself, possesses this principle, in the 
utmost perfection. To say, as some eminent writers 
have said, that virtue consists in the pursuit of our 
everlasting happiness, but vice leads her votaries to 
take their portion here below, and that this is the 
only difference between the two, is much the same 
as to say, that the sinner's only fault consists in a 
mistake of the judgment, respecting the best 
method of securing his happiness. Amongst men 
it is certainly received as a common principle, that 
love in order to be praise- worthy, must be disinter- 
ested. If a man profess to be my friend, and 
discover every mark of affection for me, yet if I 
ascertain that his only motive for this is not any 
regard for me, but merely a desire to gain some 
advantage to himself, I despise his professions of 
love, and will, by no means, agree that he is a 
sincere friend. That kind of love which we 
esteem, induces the subject of it to sacrifice his own 
ease and interest for our good. This deserves the 
name of benevolence. 

Certainly, the pious man, when enjoying a clear 
manifestation of God's excellence and glory, often 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 241 

forgets himself. He is absorbed in the contempla- 
tion of infinite worth; and his soul rests with 
delight in the object, without looking any further 
at the time. In pleading for disinterested love, I 
do not mean to insinuate, that the desire of personal 
happiness is wrong. It is not the fruit of sin, but 
belongs to the original constitution of all rational 
and sentient beings. It has, therefore, simply con- 
sidered, nothing of a moral nature, good or bad. 
Very useless and absurd questions have frequently 
been started, respecting the length to which disin- 
terested benevolence ought to carry us ; as whether 
a holy man should not be willing to be eternally 
miserable for the glory of God ; as if it were possi- 
ble for God to be glorified by the damnation of one 
of his own people ; or, as if a holy nature could 
be reconciled to become eternally unholy ; or as 
if it were possible for any creature to divest him- 
self of the first law of his nature, the desire of self- 
preservation. Cases which can never happen, 
ought never to be proposed, for they can illustrate 
nothing. But disinterested love to God will, 
undoubtedly, lead us to give up any earthly 
possession, and to endure any temporal affliction 
to which he may call us. This, indeed, is a most 
reasonable service; considering the love where- 
with he hath loved us ; for when we were- yet 
sinners, Christ died for us. 

4. The last property of the love of God, which I 
shall mention is, that it must be constant. It is a 
constant, steady flame which many waters cannot 
quench. It is like the fire on God's altar, which 
burnt day and night without going out. It is not 

31 



242 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

always equally lively, nor always in actual exercise, 
but the principle is always there. We see many 
who appear, to be inflamed with very ardent 
religious affections, which the more violent they 
appear, the sooner they subside. Their zeal blazes 
out like wild-fire, and their passions are bounded 
and regulated by no certain limits or principles. 
Such, for a time, may greatly outshine the real, 
humble, followers of Jesus, as a meteor does the 
fixed stars, but their light is not like that of the 
just, " shining more and more unto the perfect 
day." Their religion is temporary, founded on 
sudden impressions and impulses, and consisting in 
vivid flashes of affection, which soon become 
extinct. But true religion is permanent. It pro- 
ceeds with a regular uninterrupted pace, " through 
evil report and good report." Backslidings there 
may be, but this cannot be perpetual. It is the 
characteristic of the wicked to fall and rise no 
more. It belongs to the Christian to keep himself 
in the love of God ; to hold fast the beginning of 
his confidence firm unto the end; to renew his 
strength; to run and not be weary, to walk and 
not faint. He that endureth to the end shall be 
saved. The righteous shall grow stronger and 
stronger. 

4. In the last place, we come to speak of the 
invariable effects of love to God. These will be 
better understood, and the subject more easily 
improved in the way of self-examination, if we con- 
sider the analogy between the effects of this affec- 
tion of love, when a creature is its object, and when 
it is fixed on Christ. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 243 

1. One necessary effect of love is a desiro to 
please the person beloved. Love always seeks for 
a return. The person who loves a friend is ever 
solicitous to conciliate the esteem of that friend, 
and cannot be satisfied without a reciprocal affec- 
tion. "If ye love me," says Jesus, "keep my 
commandments. He that hath my commandments, 
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. Ye are 
my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." 
A constant desire to please God, is, therefore, a sure 
proof that we love him ; and an inseparable con- 
comitant of this, will be the fear of offending him. 
Slavish fear is cast out by perfect love. But the 
fear of offending him grows with the growth of 
love ; yea, grows out of it. We cannot be at a loss 
about what course of conduct will be pleasing to 
God, and what offensive to him, with his word in 
our hands. Do we then take his word to be the 
rule of our life ? Do we conscientiously aim at 
universal obedience to all its precepts ? Do we sin- 
cerely hate every sin ? and are we daily striving to 
mortify the deeds of the body and crucify the flesh, 
with its lusts and affections? If we can truly 
answer these interrogatories in the affirmative, it is 
better evidence that we love God, than if we heard 
it proclaimed by a voice from heaven. 

2. Another effect of love is a desire of the com- 
pany and conversation of the person beloved, and 
uneasiness and restlessness when he is absent. 
These feelings will be in proportion to the strength 
of our love. 

But God is invisible, and Christ is removed far 
beyond our sight ; how then can we enjoy his com- 



244 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

pany or fellowship ? This, no doubt, is a great 
mystery to the natural man ; and is one of those 
things of the Spirit which to him appear foolish- 
ness. But, says the apostle,. " our fellowship is 
with the Father and with his Son." Communion 
and intercourse with the Father, through the Son, 
and by the Spirit, is a truth clearly taught in the 
Scriptures; and known by experience to all those 
who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Those 
who have once tasted the sweetness of the divine 
presence, and have had " the love of God shed 
abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost," are ever 
after anxious to enjoy these visitations of their 
heavenly Father. For this purpose, they frequent 
the house of God, to inquire after him, and to 
behold his beauty. With this view, they read, 
pray, and meditate, in their secret retirements. 
When the child of God approaches the table of the 
Lord, if any one should inquire, What is thy request, 
and what is thy petition ? the natural answer would 
be, I desire the presence of my God ; I wish to 
behold his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. When 
they are admitted to his presence, they "rejoice 
with joy unspeakable and full of glory." But 
when they are disappointed in their views of meet- 
ing with their God and Saviour, they go away 
sorrowful, but still they anxiously seek him, and 
will not rest until they find him. As the hunted 
hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my 
soul after thee, O God ! O that I knew where I 
might find him. 

3. Another natural effect of love is a desire to be 
conformed to the character of the person beloved. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 245 

Love lias an assimilating effect on every mind 
which is the subject of it. 

Then, if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall 
be seeking conformity to his lovely character. His 
excellencies will be the object of our habitual 
imitation. No better evidence can be given of the 
genuineness of our love, than a constant effort and 
desire to be like Christ, in his humility and meek- 
ness, in his benevolence and compassion, in his zeal 
and devotional spirit ; and so far as we find ourselves 
wanting in conformity to Christ, we shall be pained 
and dissatisfied with ourselves. 

4. The last effect of love to God is an ardent 
concern for his glory; which discovers itself in 
active exertions to promote truth and holiness in 
ourselves and others ; in using our best endeavours 
to advance the Redeemer's kingdom, by our own 
exertions, or by aiding and encouraging the exer- 
tions of others, and in real joy, when the interests of 
true religion are promoted, whoever may be the 
instrument ; in grief and sorrow, when piety lan- 
guishes, when truth is perverted, when iniquity 
abounds, and the love of many waxes cold. The 
most care for none of these things. If their own 
affairs are prosperous, they have no concern 
whether it goes well or ill with the kingdom of 
Christ. Many would rejoice at the overthrow of 
Christianity. If it were in their power, they would 
utterly abolish this system which so much disturbs 
their peace. But all the friends of the Lord Jesus 
rally round his standard, and would rather shed the 
last drop of their heart's blood, than forsake a cause 
which is so dear to them. 



SERMON XVIII 



KEEPING ALIVE THE LOVE OF GOD. 



Keep yourselves in the love of God. — Jude, verse 21. 



The phrase " love of God," has two significations 
in the New Testament. First, it imports God's 
love to us : secondly, our love to God. 

In the former sense, it is read in the following 
passages. Rom. v. 5, " For the love of God is shed 
abroad in your hearts, by the Holy Ghost sent down 
from heaven. " Rom. viii. 39, "Nor any creature 
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, 
which is in Christ Jesus." Tit. iii. 5, " But after 
that the kindness and love of God to man appeared." 
1 John iii. 16, " Hereby perceive we the love of 
God, because he laid down his life for us." 
1 John iv. 9, " In this was manifested the love of 
God toward us," &c. 

It is used in the latter sense in Luke xi. 42, 

"But pass by judgment and the love of God." 

John v. 42, " I know you, that ye have not the love 

of God in you." 2 Thess. iii. 5, " The Lord direct 

246 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 247 

your hearts into the love of God." 1 John ii. 5, 
"In him, verily the love of God is perfected." 
iii. 17, "But whoso hath this world's good, and 
seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his 
bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the 
love of God in him ?" v. 3, " For this is the love of 
God, that we keep his commandments." To which 
may be added the words of our text, "Keep your- 
selves in the love of God." 

Such exhortations do not imply, as some teach, 
that those addressed possess in themselves a com- 
plete ability to perform what is commanded, without 
divine aid. The maxim that where there is a com- 
mand, there is always an ability to obey, is a false 
maxim. The obligation to obedience may remain, 
when the ability is lost ; as is the case with every 
sinner. The maxim holds good in relation to all 
creatures, as they proceed from the hands of God. 
But who would say that the devil is not under 
obligation to love his Creator ; and yet, who would 
affirm that he has the ability to change his nature 
from enmity to love ? Human agency and divine 
efficiency are not at war ; but sweetly harmonize. 
God commands what is right, and graciously gives 
us strength to perform it. It is analogous to what 
we observe in natural things. It is the duty of the 
husbandman to plough and sow, and water, but 
without the genial influences of heaven, the sun, 
air, and rain, he cannot have a crop. God must 
" give the increase." The true principle is taught 
by Paul, Phil. ii. 12, 13. " Work out your own 
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that 
worketh in you both to will and to do, of his own 



248 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

good pleasure." Our dependence on God is no 
reason why we should sit still and be idle, but 
a good reason for our being up and doing. It will 
be admitted by all, that the love of God is the 
essence of true religion, under every dispensation. 
It was the law of Paradise. It was the sum and 
substance of the ten commandments, uttered in a 
voice of thunder from Sinai, and written by the 
finger of God on tables of stone, and it is the soul 
of gospel obedience. It is unnecessary to attempt 
any analysis of love. It is too simple for definition, 
and too well known to all men, to need any expla- 
nation of its nature. But as the word includes 
more than one affection, it may be useful to em- 
ploy a few words in showing what is usually com- 
prehended under the term. When it is put for all 
moral obedience, it is used as a generic term, and 
comprehends all the desires and affections of the 
heart, which have God for their object, such as 
admiration, reverence, and confidence. But in its 
stricter sense, as meaning what is commonly under- 
stood by love, it comprehends three affections, 
which are easily distinguishable. The first ter- 
minates on the moral excellence of the divine 
character, and is termed esteem or complacency. 
The second has for its object the glory and felicity 
of God, and ardently seeks the manifestation of 
his glory, and rejoices in his infinite and unchange- 
able blessedness. The third is that flow of 
affection which is excited in the susceptible heart, 
by the reception of benefits, and is called gratitude. 
We may exercise benevolence toward one for whom 
we can feel no esteem ; and we may feel esteem 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 249 

and benevolence toward one to whom we owe no 
debt of gratitude. But in regard to God, all these 
unite and combine, in that state of heart, in which 
true holiness or piety consists. We love God for 
what he is. We rejoice in his glory and felicity, 
and we feel gratitude for his unnumbered and 
unspeakable benefits. This is the love of God. 
The loss of this was the greatest injury sustained 
by the fall. The recovery of a disposition to love 
God supremely, is the richest blessing brought to 
us by the gospel. This is the end of redemption. 
By regeneration love is implanted again in the 
human soul, which has a natural capacity for this 
affection; so that when implanted, it takes deep 
root. But in the beginning, this affection is com- 
monly feeble : in all, it is imperfect. The spiritual 
birth is analogous to the natural. All partake of 
life by this birth, but not all in an equal degree. 
Some are strong and lively from the moment of 
their conversion, while others are weak and sickly, 
and at first give symptoms of vitality so equivocal, 
that for some time, it may remain doubtful whether 
they are dead or alive. But these feeble babes, 
by means of the sincere milk of the word, may out- 
grow, and come nearer to the stature of a perfect 
man in Christ Jesus, than those who commenced 
their spiritual existence under auspices much more 
favourable. In all, there is room for growth in 
grace, that is, in love, while they are tenants of 
these houses of day. The exhortation in the text 
implies that Christians are liable to lose the fervour 
of their first love. They are, indeed, prone to declen- 
sion. The course of the Christian is like that of a 

32 



250 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

man rowing up the stream ; if he is remiss for one 
moment, he loses some part of the distance before 
gained. All the tendencies of nature within him 
are downward ; and all the influence from the 
world is in the same direction. There is need, 
therefore, of constant exertion. We must not be 
slothful, nor grow weary in well-doing. 

In the sequel, some directions for keeping our- 
selves in the love of God will be given ; and some 
motives presented, to stimulate my hearers to 
engage heartily in this work. 

DIRECTIONS FOR KEEPING THE HEART IN THE 
LOVE OF GOD. 

1. Carefully shun all those circumstances and 
things which are known to have a tendency to 
damp the fervours of love, or to extinguish this 
holy fire. Here a large field opens, but we have 
not time to occupy it. A few things only, out of 
many, can be noticed. Above all, avoid every 
sinful indulgence. Known, allowed sins, of every 
kind, are as water to the fire. The love of God 
cannot live in the heart, where any sin is indulged. 
Fleshly lusts war against this holy principle. Flee 
youthful lusts. The love of the world is a common 
and insidious foe. Avarice may be indulged to a 
great extent, and yet no overt act committed which 
will alarm the conscience. We should remember 
that solemn warning, " If any man love the world, 
the love of the Father is not in him." " Love not 
the world nor the things that are in the world." 
Desire of the good opinion of men, often leads even 
Christians to an undue conformity to the world. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 251 

" How can ye believe," says our Lord, " who 
receive honour one from another?" 

The neglect, or careless performance, of the 
duties of the closet, cannot but have the effect of 
cooling the ardour of piety in the soul; especially 
the neglect of reading the word of God which is 
calculated to furnish fuel to the fire of divine love. 

Avoid, also, contention and strife, as exceedingly 
inimical to the peaceful spirit of piety. " As much 
as lieth in you. live peaceably with all men." 

Every species of pride and vain glory, tends to 
extinguish the holy fervours of divine love. 

In short, whatever thought, feeling, desire, 
imagination, word, or action has a tendency 
to grieve the Holy Spirit, should be solicitously 
avoided. 

2. To keep ourselves in the love of God, we 
should often meditate on the superlative moral 
excellence of the divine character, as displayed in 
his works and word. The habit of associating the 
idea of God with every object of nature, is one of 
the happiest which can be formed. It brings God 
near to us wherever we are, or whatever we may 
be doing. In all our blessings and enjoyments, w T e 
should gratefully acknowledge God as the Author, 
"the Father of lights, from whom cometh down 
every good gift, and every perfect gift." 

God's providential dealings toward us, personally, 
in giving us so favourable a lot, in the circum- 
stances of our birth and education in a land of 
churches, Sabbaths, and Bibles, and in preserving 
our lives in the midst of dangers, or rescuing us 
from the grave, when in an unprepared state, 



252 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

should have a powerful effect in stirring up our 
minds to acts of gratitude. 

But nothing so powerfully affects the mind 
which has within it the principles of true piety, 
as a contemplation of the love of God as manifested 
in the gift of his only begotten, and well-beloved 
Son, to die on the cross for our salvation. " Herein 
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved 
us." " We love him because he first loved us." 
Nothing is so powerful to excite love as the well- 
grounded persuasion of the love of God to us. 
This motive so frequently presented in the Scrip- 
tures should not be repudiated as unworthy, or 
selfish. It is a noble trait in any mind to be sus- 
ceptible of lively gratitude, for benefits received. 
Much of true piety on earth, and much of the holy 
exercises of heaven, consist in the flow of grateful 
affection. " To him who loved us, and gave him- 
self for us, be honour and glory and praise," will be 
the everlasting song of the redeemed. 

3. Every habit and affection is preserved in 
vigour, and increased by frequent exercise. If we 
desire to strengthen any member of our body, or to 
render our senses more acute and susceptible, we 
find no method more effectual than to exercise in- 
cessantly those parts which we wish to improve. 
Habits and affections of the mind follow the same 
law, and are strengthened imperceptibly, but 
powerfully, by exercise. Even in regard to our 
affection to earthly friends, if we seldom think of 
them, and do not enjoy their company, our Jove 
grows cold. Hence, memorials of absent friends, 
and correspondence by letters, are so much in use, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 253 

for it is found, that the frequent recollection of 
those whom we love, keeps alive our affection, 
which otherwise would be apt to die away for want 
of exercise. Thus it behoves us to keep ourselves 
in the love of God, by frequently calling up in our 
minds the idea of his excellence and his ineffable 
love to us. 

The cultivation of other holy affections, and the 
conscientious discharge of all incumbent duties, 
will also help to preserve alive our love to God . 

4. The greatest hinderance to the exercise and 
increase of our love to God, is our blindness of 
mind and unbelief. The objects of sense too much 
occupy and interest us ; while spiritual and invisi- 
ble objects are obscurely perceived, and make a 
feeble and transient impression on the mind. 
Although we know that God is ever present with 
us, and takes cognizance of all our thoughts and 
actions ; yet how little are we affected, habitually, 
by this truth ! 

In order, therefore, to preserve our souls in the 
lively exercise of the love of God, we must seek an 
increase of that faith which is " the substance of 
things hoped for, and the evidence of things not 
seen" — that faith w T hich " sees him, that is invisi- 
ble" — which " looks not at the things which are 
seen and temporal, but at the things which are 
not seen, which are eternal." The close connexion 
between faith and love is manifest from the nature 
of the case ; as no object can be loved which is 
not perceived ; and the more vividly an object of 
love is presented to the mind, the more is the affec- 
tion increased in vigour. The Scriptures also 



254 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

teach, that it is " faith which works by love." This 
connexion between faith and love is distinctly and 
explicitly taught in the context, "Wherefore, build- 
ing yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying 
in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of 
God." Let us, then, often present that important 
petition, " Lord, increase our faith." 

5. But in the words just recited, we are admon- 
ished that this desirable object cannot be accom- 
plished by mere human effort. It is a solemn truth, 
that "without Christ we can do nothing." Hence, 
while we are exhorted to act, and to exert ourselves 
to exercise faith, and to keep ourselves in the love 
of God, we are instructed to " pray in the Holy 
Ghost." Without the efficient aid of this divine 
agent, all our efforts will be fruitless ; but Christ 
has graciously assured us, that the Holy Spirit will 
be given to those who ask for this best of gifts. 
We need this aid that we may pray aright, " pray- 
ing in the Holy Ghost," and we need the same 
efficient operation to give exercise to faith and 
love, and every grace. It is a delightful promise, 
that the Holy Spirit shall take up his abode in 
believers ; so that their bodies become, as it were, 
temples of God. " Hereby we know that he abid- 
eth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us." 
"Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek and ye shall 
find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For 
every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seek- 
eth findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be 
opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that 
is a father, will he give him a stone ? or, if he ask 
a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 255 

he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 
If ye, then, being evil know how to give good gifts 
unto your children, how much more shall your 
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that 
ask him?" 

II. The motives which should induce us to use 
all means to keep our souls in the love of God, are 
the strongest that can be conceived. 

1. By doing this we shall best glorify God upon 
earth. Every true Christian has this as his chief 
end, but all do not keep the object sufficiently 
before their minds ; and all do not pursue steadily 
that course which leads directly to this end. Infe- 
rior objects, because they are present and visible, 
and occupy the attention of those around us, too 
frequently draw us off from our proper course. 
Now, to prevent this forgetfulness and unsteadiness, 
nothing will be so effectual as the lively exercise 
of the love of God. This holy affection will give 
a right direction to the thoughts, and elevate the 
heart from low and groveling, to high and heavenly 
objects. The love of God will give alacrity and 
energy in the performance of every duty; will 
enable us to bear with patience every affliction; 
and will render our devotional exercises not only 
pleasant, but profitable. Unless we have the love 
of God in exercise, we cannot glorify him ; and our 
most painful services will be worthless. 

2. The next motive which should influence us 
to perform faithfully the duty enjoined in the text, 
is, that this will be the most effectual method of 
promoting the welfare and salvation of our fellow 



256 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

creatures. Man is not placed here to live merely 
for himself. He is bound to love his neighbour as 
himself — to do good to all men, especially to the 
household of faith. He should imitate his divine 
Master, who went about doing good, both to the 
bodies and souls of men. Christ expects his dis- 
ciples to abound in good works, to let their light 
shine, that others seeing their good works may 
glorify their Father in heaven. And when he 
comes to collect his sheep into the eternal fold, he 
will make their affectionate assiduity in ministering 
to the necessities and comfort of his poor and 
afflicted brethren, the measure of the reward which 
he will confer on them. Now, the love of God is 
the root from which every branch of true piety 
springs. The love of our neighbour cannot exist 
in vigour, unless it derive daily strength from the 
love of God. If, then, you would abound in the 
fruits of holiness, be careful to water the root. 
" Keep yourselves in the love of God," and you 
will not cease to do good, as you may have oppor- 
tunity, to your fellow men. 

3. Lastly, the more we keep ourselves in the 
love of God, the more meet shall we be for the 
heavenly inheritance, where perfect love reigns in 
every heart. Not only so, but the richer reward 
will be possessed ; for notwithstanding the imper- 
fection of our services, God is pleased to make our 
good works here, the measure of the reward which 
he will bestow hereafter. Ail his people are equal- 
ly justified, but all will not be equally glorified. 
" In our Father's house, are many mansions," and 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 257 

some are doubtless much nearer to the celestial 
throne than others. Some saints will occupy, in 
heaven, a much higher and more honourable place 
than others. All will be as happy as they are 
capable of being ; but the capacity of those who 
loved God most fervently and constantly, will be 
greater than that of those who loved less.* 

* The critical reader will find some of the sentiments of the preced- 
ing discourse in the introduction of this ; and also that there is a slight 
shade of difference in the description of the affection of love to God. 
In regard to this, the author would remark, that no less than forty 
years intervened between the composition of these two discourses ; 
and the first was for many years out of his possession, and what was 
written in it was nearly forgotten when the latter was composed. 
And he would further remark, that between some of the discourses 
in this volume half a century has elapsed ; from which it may be seen 
that the author's religious sentiments have undergone little change in 
a long life. 



33 



SERMON XIX 



STRENGTH RENEWED BY WAITING ON THE LORD. 



But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; they 
shall mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall run and not be 
weary ; and they shall walk and not faint. — Isaiah xl. 31. 



Almighty power and infinite wisdom belong unto 
God. The continual exertion of his power in the 
sustentation of all things, occasions no weariness to 
him. As he is strong himself, so he is the source 
of strength to such as trust in him, although they 
be weak in themselves. But all who rely on their 
own strength, though they be young and vigorous, 
will utterly fail ; for as human wisdom, in the sight 
of God, is counted as folly, so human strength in 
the most vigorous, is but weakness. These ideas 
are beautifully expressed by the prophet in the 
context. " Hast thou not known, hast thou not 
heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the 
Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither 
is weary? there is no searching of his understand- 
ing. He giveth power to the faint ; and to those 
that have no might he increaseth strength. Even 
258 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 259 

the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young 
men shall utterly fall. " But they that wait upon 
the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall 
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and 
not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." In 
considering and applying these words, it is pro- 
posed, first, to inquire what are the elements of 
spiritual strength. Secondly, by what means this 
strength may be acquired and increased. And 
thirdly, point out some of the benefits and pleasures 
of spiritual strength. 

1. Wherein consists the strength spoken of by 
the prophet? and what are its elements? The 
Philistines were utterly unable to find out in what 
the amazing strength of Samson consisted, until he 
revealed it to his espoused wife. It was his reli- 
gious observance of the laws of the Nazarite which 
occasioned his extraordinary power. Not that long 
hair could produce bodily strength ; but as long as 
he was obedient to the Nazarite vow, the Spirit of 
the Lord was with him, and when there was an 
occasion to require a great exertion of strength, 
enabled him to put it forth, to a degree, never 
observed in any other man. His uncommon bodily 
strength, therefore, was from the Lord ; and when 
He departed from him, he became weak as another 
man. 

But the strength spoken of in our text is evident- 
ly not corporeal strength ; it is a power seated in 
the mind ; but neither is it intellectual vigour. It 
is often found in persons of weak understanding, 
and in minds not highly cultivated by refined 
education. The strength spoken of by the prophet 



260 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

is evidently a moral, or more properly, a spiritual 
quality. As bodily health is only found in a well 
balanced and healthy state of the corporeal func- 
tions ; so spiritual strength can only be found in 
souls into which new life has been infused, and is 
in vigorous exercise. The elements of this strength, 
are, 1. Faith, genuine faith, founded on divine 
illumination. This is the mainspring of all spiritual 
exercises. All men are influenced and governed 
by some kind of faith ; but worldly men have no 
true faith in things spiritual and invisible. It is 
not meant, that many, from education or from the 
convictions of reason, do not give a firm assent to 
the reality of such things, and thus possess a 
certain kind of faith ; but it does not bring before 
the mind the true nature of spiritual things ; that 
is, their beauty and glory; and, therefore, they are 
but little influenced by their belief. " The natural 
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; 
they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know 
them, because they are spiritually discerned. But 
the spiritual man judgeth all things." 

Spiritual strength especially consists in that 
exercise of faith, called trust or confidence. This 
is the nature of the mind's full persuasion, when 
a divine promise is the object. However weak the 
believer feels himself to be, he possesses all needful 
strength w T hen his confidence is in God. Yea, 
when he feels himself most weak, then is he strong- 
est — " strong in the Lord, and in the power of his 
might." 

Again, another element of strength is in the 
affections. When love to God is ardent and con- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 261 

stant in its exercise, then there is real strength. 
In our present clouded and imperfect state, this 
affection is more manifested by desire than delight. 
The soul which pants after the presence of God, 
and hungers and thirsts after righteousness, is in 
a state of vigorous health. 

But the essence of spiritual strength resides in 
the will. A fixed purpose is that which more 
clearly characterizes the genuine Christian than 
any thing else. When the determination of the 
will is not only fixed but strong, then the soul is in 
a vigorous state. Many have raised affections, at 
times, who never arrive at any fixedness and 
strength of purpose. Some whose will is inclined 
to the right side, possess no strength of purpose; 
their resolution to serve God is easily shaken. 
Others are continually vacillating between the 
service of God and the world. These are not 
strong. They may be babes in Christ, but they 
have not attained to the maturity and vigour of 
young men. The apostle John describes such 
when he says, " I have written unto you, young 
men, because ye are strong." The royal Psalmist 
possessed this element of strength, when he exclaim- 
ed, "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;" 
and Joshua, when before the whole congregated 
elders of Israel, he said, " But as for me and my 
house, we will serve the Lord." Energy properly 
appertains to the will; indeed, it is nothing else but 
a strong will; and where this exists there will 
be active exertion. Where there is strength there 
will be diligence in well-doing. Indolence is in- 



262 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

compatible with spiritual energy ; it is its opposite, 
its most insidious foe. 

Humility, meekness, peace, and joy, may not 
seem, at first view, to contribute any thing to 
strength, but in truth they are among the necessary 
elements of this vigour of mind. There may be a 
vigour which is the effect of a disordered state of the 
corporeal system — a feverish or spasmodic action, 
which is much more violent than the strength of a 
healthy man. So, in religion, there often is 
observed an unnatural energy and enthusiastic 
vehemence. This is not genuine strength, but 
real disease. True piety has no greater enemy 
than fanaticism, which some are so undiscriminat- 
ing, as to confound with the fervours of true 
religion. It is strange fire, which should never be 
brought into the sanctuary of God. The more 
powerful any machine, the more it needs a regula- 
tor — something to balance, harmonize and direct 
its action. So in religion, zeal and energy are 
necessary to strength, but they need something 
to moderate and guide them. Humility is a just 
estimation of ourselves, physically and morally. 
If it is wanting, the soul will be irregular in its 
religious exercises ; and its exertions will be mis- 
directed. Humility is to the Christian what ballast 
is to the ship ; it keeps him in his proper position, 
and. regulates all his thoughts and feelings. A 
ship, with all its sails expanded to the wind, if 
it were without ballast, would be capsized by 
the first violent blast ; thus many high professors 
in the church make speedy shipwreck, because 
they go forth without humility. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 263 

There are also occasions, when the best thing 
the believer can do is to sit still and cease from 
his own exertions; when every thing must be 
looked for from God. Such a case occurred to the 
Israelites when they arrived at the shore of the 
Red Sea. They were pursued by the Egyptian 
army, with whom they were unable to contend. 
They were hemmed in on the right and left, and 
the sea was before them. In such circumstances, 
their own efforts were perfectly useless ; their help 
could come alone from God. Moses, therefore, 
said to the people, " Stand still, and see the salva- 
tion of God." In the thirtieth chapter of Isaiah, 
we have two remarkable texts pertinent to this 
point, " Their strength is to sit still." And 
again, " In quietness and confidence shall be your 
strength." Often the Christian finds all resources 
exhausted, and yet there is no deliverance. He 
finds that his own exertions can accomplish nothing ; 
and all he can do is to wait on God — to stand still 
and let the Lord do his own work in his own way. 
Indeed, often our own exertions answer no other 
purpose than to convince us of our helplessness, 
and that is the condition of the soul, when the most 
eminent deliverances are experienced. He says, 
" Be still, and know that I am God." 

That holy joy is an element of strength is evident 
from the words of the prophet Nahum, " For the 
joy of the Lord is your strength." Most esteem 
joy to be a high privilege ; but few feel that it is 
a commanded duty. "Rejoice in the Lord," says 
Paul, " and again I say rejoice." Joy and peace 
are mentioned as the fruits of the Spirit, next after 



264 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

love, to which these emotions are nearly allied. 
Paul also informs us that he not only rejoiced in 
the glory of God, but in tribulation; and the 
prophet Habakkuk has left us a lively and beautiful 
expression of his elevated feelings, where he says, 
" Though the fig-tree shall not blossom, nor fruit 
be in the vines ; the labour of the olive shall fail, 
and the fields shall yield no meat ; the flock shall be 
cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in 
the stalls ; yet I will rejoice in the Lord ; I will joy 
in the God of my salvation." While grief and 
dejection debilitate the soul, joy not only animates 
but nerves the mind with resolution and strength. 
Christians who hang their heads as a bulrush, 
and whose spirits are low, and feelings sorrowful, 
are incapable of much enterprise or vigorous 
exertion. 

The only other ingredient of spiritual strength 
is zeal, pure zeal, zeal according to knowledge. 
Zeal to the soul is what animal heat is to the 
body. Without warmth in our desires and feel- 
ings we shall be found feeble and sickly. As 
was before stated there is a feverish heat which is 
much more vehement, than that which is healthy. 
Fanatics and enthusiasts are over heated ; but this 
undue excitement is sure to be followed by a 
collapse — a cold season, which often is connected 
with death. But if there be life in the body, there 
will be heat, and it is one sure symptom of vitality. 
Zeal gives an impulse to the mind. Zeal fills the 
soul with courage to encounter enemies and sur- 
mount obstacles. Zeal is requisite in every ardu- 
ous work, and enables the Christian pilgrim to bear 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 265 

adversity, and to achieve works of benevolence and 
piety, which, without it, would be impracticable. 

II. We come in the second place to inquire how 
spiritual strength may be acquired; and how 
renewed, when it has been impaired. It has 
already been shown that the source of this strength 
is not in ourselves but in God. We are not 
exhorted, therefore, to be strong in ourselves, but 
44 in the Lord, and in the power of his might." But, 
in order to obtain aid from on high, we must make 
use of the appointed and appropriate means. 
These are all comprehended in one expression, 
" waiting on the Lord." Let us, then, attentively 
consider what is included in the duty here recog- 
nized. The allusion is probably to the case of per- 
sons waiting in the antechamber, or some appoint- 
ed place, for the entrance of a prince, or other 
exalted personage, whose aid is sought in some 
concern of moment. Suppliants cannot command 
the presence of a king or great man with whom 
they have business ; they must wait his leisure or 
convenience ; and sometimes such petitioners are 
kept long waiting. The petition may be sent in 
through the proper medium, and an answer is 
expected ; but the suppliant must wait until it is 
received. Analogous to this is the condition of 
those who seek God. They must attend where he 
has appointed to meet with humble worshippers. 
If no means of access had been appointed, they 
could have little encouragement to prosecute their 
suit ; or if they devise means which he has never 
sanctioned, they need not expect a favourable 
answer ; but the question put to some of old will be 

34 



266 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

applicable to them, " Who hath required this at 
your hands?" And the words of our Lord show 
that such seeking will be without fruit, " In vain 
do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the 
commandments of men." 

Now, it is our happiness to know, that means of 
access to God have been appointed. The public 
worship of God in the assemblies of his people, 
where prayer and praise are offered, and where his 
word is preached and ordinances dispensed, affords 
to every sincere seeker an opportunity of drawing 
nigh to God, and presenting his petitions ; for the 
prayers which are offered are in the name of all 
who join in the service. And often, through the 
word, the very information which we need is com- 
municated ; and not only do we receive light by the 
word, but strength and comfort. Therefore, where 
God has recorded his name; wherever the silver 
trumpet is sounded, and the people of God are 
congregated, there God is present in the midst of 
the assembly ; and there should all who desire any 
blessing of the Lord present themselves. There 
should they be found waiting to hear what the 
Lord will speak. Often has he there spoken peace 
to his waiting people ; so that they have said in 
their hearts, " It is good to be here," and have felt 
reluctant to depart. Souls oppressed with a load 
of guilt, have by waiting on the Lord, in his house, 
often been relieved of their burden, by rolling it 
on the Lord, according to his gracious invitation ; 
that is, by faith in Christ crucified, they have 
obtained assurance of the pardon of their sins. 
And persons, whose minds are clouded and per- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS 267 

plexed with doubts and unbelieving suggestions, by 
going into the sanctuary, like Asaph, experience a 
speedy relief, and find their faith which was shaken, 
wonderfully confirmed. This ancient saint, the 
author of several precious psalms, seems to have 
been a man of a sorrowful spirit, and much harassed 
with skeptical thoughts respecting divine provi- 
dence ; especially, when he saw the prosperity of 
the wicked, and contrasted their thoughtless ease 
and security with his own daily afflictions, his feet 
had well nigh slipped. But on entering the 
sanctuary, he obtained such a view of the dangerous 
condition of the wicked, as standing on a slippery 
precipice, that all his doubts w T ere dispelled ; and 
his soul was filled with divine consolation, so that 
he could exclaim, " Whom have I in heaven but 
thee ? and there is none in all the earth, that I desire 
besides thee." And from his own delightful expe- 
rience, he could say, in the conclusion of the 
psalm, " It is good for me to draw near to God." 

But believers are not restricted to public ordi- 
nances ; they are encouraged to meet with two or 
three, and Christ promises to be in the midst of 
them, and to grant any petition which they shall 
agree to offer. And not only so, but the throne of 
grace is accessible by individuals, at all times, and 
m all places. " When thou pray est," says our Lord, 
" enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father in 
secret ; and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall 
reward thee openly." The fervent effectual prayer 
of one righteous man availeth much, as is proved 
by the case of Elijah. And greater encouragement 
to prayer could not be given, than the words of our 



268 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Saviour afford, "Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, 
and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened 
unto you; for he that asketh receiveth, and he 
that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it 
shall be opened." And as the influence of the 
Holy Spirit is the sum of all spiritual blessings, the 
promise of this rich and comprehensive gift, is 
enforced in the most emphatical manner : and we 
are taught, that in some cases, fasting should 
accompany our prayers. Three things are plainly 
implied in the expression, " waiting on the Lord." 
First, a desire of some benefit, with a petition for 
the same. Secondly, the exercise of patience. And 
thirdly, the expectation of receiving what is asked. 
The desire will be earnest in proportion to our 
sense of the wants under which we labour. A 
deep sense of sin and apprehension of the punish- 
ment to which it exposes us, will produce impor- 
tunity in our petitions ; and such prayers are 
effectual. A feeling of unworthiness and entire 
dependence will cause the soul to wait patiently 
until it shall please the Lord to show himself 
favourable, and to return an answer to its earnest 
petition. We are never more in the way of success 
in our waiting, than when we are conscious that 
we deserve nothing, and that a sovereign God, 
without injustice, might cast us off for ever. Our 
hope of acceptance in waiting on the Lord is based 
on nothing else but the mercy of God, the merit 
and intercession of Christ, and the gracious declara- 
tions and promises of God, in which he appears 
disposed to save the lost, to pardon the sinner, 
and justify the ungodly, who believeth in Jesus. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 269 

And the liveliness of our hope will be in proportion 
to the strength of our faith. When this is vigorous, 
the assurance of hope will be enjoyed. Often, in 
fervent believing supplication, at a throne of grace, 
for mercy, there is a delightful assurance that our 
prayer is heard, and that we have the blessing for 
which we earnestly prayed. 

Perseverance is also implied in waiting on the 
Lord. This, indeed, is included in the patience 
which has been mentioned. Some seekers, if they 
meet not with immediate success, are offended, or 
discouraged, and cease from striving, as believing 
that it is in vain. Such, although they might 
promise well at first, yet soon fall away, and not 
only lose their own souls, but become a stumbling 
block to others. But souls truly convinced of sin, 
persevere in waiting. Their determination is, if 
they perish, to perish at a throne of grace. No 
consideration will induce them to give over seek- 
ing. And all such do find mercy, and obtain from 
the Lord, the blessings which they seek. 

In the third place, let us consider what benefits 
and aids they receive, who w 7 ait upon the Lord. 
They are said, in our text, " to mount up on wings 
as eagles." The soul of fallen man naturally 
grovels on the earth ; his face instead of being raised 
to heaven, is prone toward the ground. But when 
the Holy Spirit enters into any man, his thoughts 
and affections are raised to those things which are 
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of 
God. By the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, faith, 
love, and hope are brought into lively exercise ; 
and these are as pinions to the soul ; under their 



270 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

influence it rises from the earth, and soars on high, 
like the eagle in its flight ; and, like the same, 
gazes on the sun, not the visible luminary, but the 
Sun of Righteousness. When, by faith the 
regenerated soul draws near to God, the earth 
appears to recede; all its objects are seen to be 
diminutive ; and the realities of the heavenly state 
are perceived, and operate with power on the sus- 
ceptible mind. The affections, which may be 
called the wings of the soul, mount on high ; and 
it is borne upwards and rejoices in the view of the 
glory of God, and in the lively hope of dwelling 
with him for ever. But such seasons of elevated 
devotion, and delightful contemplation, are not 
constant. Zion's pilgrim experiences night as well 
as day. He has his nights of weeping, and often 
fears that the mercy of God is clean gone. But 
through whatever vicissitudes of feeling he passes, 
in one thing he is uniform, both in the light and 
in the shade, on the mount and in the valley, in 
trouble and in joy ; his purpose never varies. His 
determination to continue seeking God never 
wavers. He can say, under all circumstances, 
" My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed.'' 

In general, the course of the humble believer, is 
not an eagle's flight ; if he enjoys seasons of this 
kind, they are few and far between; yet he rejoices 
in the recollection of them, and the very places 
where they were experienced, remain fresh in his 
memory, as we observe in the case of the royal 
Psalmist. When his soul was cast down within 
him, he encouraged himself by calling to mind 
former deliverances. " Therefore," says he, " I 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 271 

will remember thee, from the land of Jordan and 
the Hermonites — from the hill Mizar." 

Our text speaks not only of flying, but of run- 
ning and walking. There is a race to be run, in 
which the strong young men utterly fall; but they 
that renew their strength by waiting on the Lord, 
are enabled to run in this race without growing 
weary. Their strength is not in themselves, but 
in the Lord, and this is the reason why they do not 
grow weary. Their strength is continually renewed 
by waiting on the Lord ; so that they never grow 
weary of well-doing. They never become tired of 
the service of their divine Master ; their greatest 
trouble is, that they are able to do so little for him, 
who has done so much for them. Though running 
is necessary in winning a prize in a race ; yet a 
journey or pilgrimage cannot be pursued in this 
way. Steady walking is the common method of 
performing a pilgrimage. And when the journey 
is long and the place to be visited far distant, 
human strength is apt to fail, and the weary 
traveller to become faint. In this case the sugges- 
tion of prudence is, that he turn aside for a season, 
and rest his fatigued limbs, and seek some refresh- 
ment. This is especially necessary to Zion's 
traveller. And he knows where refreshment and a 
recruit of strength can be obtained. The Lord is 
his strength. By waiting on him, he is enabled to 
pursue his journey to the end, without fainting by 
the way. 



272 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 



REFLECTIONS. 

1. " The men of this world are wiser in their 
generation than the children of light." When the 
body is debilitated and needs to be strengthened, 
they spare no pains or expense to recover impaired 
health. If they hear of a medicinal spring, far off 
in the mountains, they hesitate not to undertake the 
journey, and undergo the hardships of the rugged 
way, that they may test the efficacy of the mineral 
waters. And this is done commonly, in the greatest 
uncertainty, whether the means will prove effectual. 
The diseased in body will apply to the most skilful 
physicians, and be at any expense, which they can 
afford, to procure the medicines prescribed. But 
although there is a fountain opened for sin and 
uncleanness, yet how slow are men to avail them- 
selves of this effectual means of purification! Al- 
though a great and infallible Physician offers his 
services, with all needed remedies to heal the dis- 
eases of the soul, and not only so, but to confer 
immortal life on every one who is willing to come to 
him, and confide his case entirely to his hands; yet, 
notwithstanding that multitudes who are perishing 
are within reach of the great Physician, and hear 
his kind invitation every week, they refuse to 
apply to him, and are unwilling to submit to his 
prescriptions. 

2. As our natural life requires to be nourished 
by suitable food, from day to day, without which 
it would decline, and death would ensue ; so the 
spiritual life of the Christian needs to be recruited 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 273 

continually, with the nutriment which is suited to 
its growth and strength; and if this be withheld, 
or sparingly partaken of, the soul will lose its 
healthful vigour, and will languish and fall into 
dangerous diseases. Of their daily bread men in 
health are led to partake by the stimulus of appe- 
tite ; so that there is no occasion to exhort them to 
attend to this matter : but in regard to spiritual 
nutriment, there is often in many professors, a mani- 
fest defect of both taste and appetite ; so that while 
the means are accessible, and that without expense 
or trouble, yet they are neglected; and the spiritual 
life remains languid, exhibiting few symptoms of 
vitality, and none of strength. Or, as there is too 
much reason to fear, in many cases, the principle 
of life is wanting. Having a name to live, they 
are dead, and no more enjoy the rich provisions of 
the house of God, than a dead man would the most 
savoury and nourishing food. A love to divine 
ordinances, and a disposition to wait upon God in 
attendance on them, in private as well as in public, 
may be given as one test of Christian character. 

3. Although every degree of spiritual strength is 
a precious possession, and we are not permitted "to 
despise the day of small things," nor to reject from 
our fellowship those who are weak in the faith ; 
yet it is the duty and privilege of every believer to 
aim at high attainments in the divine life, and to 
encourage and aid others in doing the same. They 
should be covetous of those rich experiences in 
the divine life, which are represented by mounting 
up as on wings of an eagle. Such elevated seasons 
of religious experience are not only inexpressibly 

35 



274 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

delightful, but exceedingly profitable. One day 
thus spent, whether in the sanctuary or in the 
closet, is better than a thousand in worldly busi- 
ness and carnal pleasures. The soul thus favoured 
possesses an evidence of the truth of the Christian 
religion, which no other can have. Such elevated 
views and affections also give an impulse to the 
soul in its spiritual progress which is like to that 
which a ship receives from a favourable wind 
springing up, after the experience of head winds or 
a calm. 

But if we should not be so highly favoured as to 
be able thus to mount and fly, yet we should cer- 
tainly not be contented to creep, when, by renewing 
our strength, we may run and yet not be weary, 
and walk and not faint. Some who are strong in 
the Lord, are men of a sorrowful spirit, and subject 
to fearful conflicts, but God causes them to triumph, 
and following the Captain of salvation wherever he 
leads, through evil and through good report, they 
are made more than conquerors, through his love, 
through his merit, through his faithfulness, and 
through his power. 

Blessed, then, are all they who continually wait 
on the Lord ; for they will enjoy spiritual health 
and vigour, while those who rely on their own 
strength shall utterly fall. 



SERMON XX. 



THE TRUE ISRAELITE. 



Behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom is no guile. — John i. 47. 

Nathanael, to whom our text refers, was of Gali- 
lee, of the town of Cana ; and though a good man, 
was not without his prejudices ; for when Philip, 
after having seen Jesus, accosted him, saying, 
" We have found him of whom Moses in the law, 
and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the 
son of Joseph;" Nathanael replied, " Can there 
any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip 
persuaded that nothing else was necessary to remove 
his friend's prejudices than a personal interview 
with Jesus, invited him to go with him, and see the 
remarkable person of whom he spake. With this 
invitation, Nathanael immediately complied. When 
Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he uttered the words 
of our text, " Behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom 
is no guile." Nathanael, surprized at such a salu- 
tation from a stranger, said, " Whence knowest 
thou me?" Jesus answered, " Before that Philip 

275 



276 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I 
saw thee." How Philip was occupied at the time 
referred to, must be a matter of conjecture ; but it 
is not improbable that he had been engaged in 
holding secret communion with God, when alone 
under the fig-tree. He was, therefore, at once 
convinced of the omniscience of Jesus, and that he 
was certainly the true Messiah. His prejudices, 
arising from the supposed place of our Lord's 
origin, were for ever dispersed; and the good man 
exclaimed, " Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou 
art the King of Israel. Jesus answered, and said, 
Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the 
fig-tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater 
things than these. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 
hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels 
of God ascending and descending on the Son of 
man." Whether this promise was fulfilled on the 
day of our Lord's ascension to heaven, when a 
multitude of angels came down to accompany him, 
or at some other time not recorded, we cannot posi- 
tively determine. It might, for aught we know, 
have been fulfilled, on several occasions. Most 
expositors are of opinion, that Nathanael became 
one of the twelve apostles, and was more commonly 
known by the name Bartholomew, than by the 
name here given. 

Our object in the sequel of the discourse shall 
be to delineate the character which Christ ascribes 
to Nathanael, "an Israelite, indeed, in whom is 
no guile." 

1 . It imported that he was a true son of Abra- 
ham. From the Holy Scriptures we learn, that the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 277 

children of Abraham are of two kinds; "they that 
are born after the flesh, and they that are born after 
the promise." And the apostle Paul teaches, that 
"they are not all Israel who are of Israel." "Neither, 
because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all 
children;" that "they which are children of the 
flesh, these are not the children of God, but the 
children of the promise — these are counted for the 
children." Nathanael was called an " Israelite 
indeed," not because he was a natural descendant 
of Abraham ; for in this sense the words might 
have been as properly applied to every individual 
of the Jewish nation. There is an emphasis on the 
word indeed. It means, that he w T as a genuine son ; 
one who truly resembled Abraham in his faith and 
piety. Christ, in his conversation with the Jews, 
recorded in the eighth chapter of this book, denies 
that the unbelieving Jews could with propriety be 
denominated the children of Abraham. "If ye 
were Abraham's children," says he, " ye would do 
the works of Abraham." He had admitted, indeed, 
that as to natural descent, they were the seed 
of Abraham ; but in the more important sense, he 
denies their claim to this appellation, as their con- 
duct proved them to be of a character entirely 
opposite to that of the patriarch. Abraham was 
constituted the father of all true believers; not 
merely of those descended from him according to 
the flesh, " For the promise that he should be the 
heir of the w T orld, was not made to Abraham and 
his seed, through the law, but through the right- 
eousness of faith ; therefore, it is of faith, that it 
might be by grace, to the end that the promise 



278 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

might be sure to all the seed, not that only which 
is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith 
of Abraham, who is the father of us all." 

The conclusion which the apostle Paul draws, 
in another place, is, " If ye be Christ's, then are ye 
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the pro- 
mise." " For he is not a Jew who is one outward- 
ly, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly." " Know 
ye, therefore, that they who are of faith, are the 
children of Abraham." 

Faith, then, is the characteristic of a true Israel- 
ite. This was the trait which was most remarkable 
in the life of this patriarch. Whatever God pro- 
mised, he fully believed ; whatever God command- 
ed, he hesitated not to do. The testimony given 
of his faith is, that " he staggered not at the promise 
through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving 
glory to God. Being fully persuaded, that what 
he promised, he was able to perform." 

The same readiness to believe, seems to have 
been the disposition of Nathanael. It was, there- 
fore, no doubt, on account of his faith that our Lord 
speaks of him as an "Israelite indeed." And this 
is the distinguishing feature in the character of 
every sincere servant of God. Faith is the primary 
virtue of the Christian life. But the faith of God's 
elect, must not be confounded with the speculative 
assent which unsanctified men give to the truth of 
divine revelation. This is altogether inoperative. 
It is a dead faith. But the faith of the Christian, 
is a living and operative principle. It is also fruit- 
ful of good works. By its fruits it must be judged. 
As the apostle James says, " Show me thy faith 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 279 

without thy works, and I will show thee my faith 
by my works." A genuine faith cannot be unfruit- 
ful, for "it works by love and purines the heart." 

2. A true Israelite was one in covenant with 
God. The nation of Israel were distinguished 
from all other nations by this circumstance, that 
God had entered into a solemn covenant with 
them. Every descendant of Abraham, and every 
one connected with his family permanently, received 
the sign of circumcision, which was " a seal of the 
righteousness of faith." And when God brought 
his people out of their bondage in Egypt, he 
entered into covenant with the whole nation, at 
Sinai, and at Horeb. They thus became a pecu- 
liar people, who were favoured with exceeding 
great and precious privileges ; for to them were com- 
mitted the oracles of God, the covenants of promise, 
and all the institutions and ordinances of divine 
worship. But the possession of these external 
privileges did not interest the people in the spiritual 
blessings of the covenant of grace, unless they by 
faith laid hold of the promise, and were thus 
brought into friendship with God. 

The Jews were ever ready to boast of their 
privileges, and of their being the children of Abra- 
ham, and despised all others as being uncircum- 
cised, and out of covenant with God. Both John 
the Baptist and our Lord took pains to show them 
that those external privileges would answer them 
no valuable purpose, unless they became in heart 
the sincere servants of the most High. The 
promise, " I will be a God to thee and thy seed," 
is still in full force, and belongs to every one who 



280 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

has truly entered into covenant with the God of 
Abraham. Whoever cordially, and "unreservedly 
takes God for his God, Christ for his only 
Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit for his Sanctifier 
and Comforter, is in covenant with God. And 
every such person consents and promises to walk 
before God uprightly, in obedience to all his 
commandments and ordinances. To all such, 
God says, " I will be a father unto you, and 
ye shall be my sons and daughters." No situa- 
tion can be so safe and comfortable as to be in 
covenant with God ; for to those who are in this 
sacred relation, all the promises of the covenant 
of grace belong. These are exceeding great and 
precious, and they are all firm and sure. " They 
are not yea and nay ; but are all yea, and amen, in 
Christ Jesus to the glory of God." Their fulfil- 
ment rests on the faithfulness of God, which can 
never fail. Heaven and earth will pass^ away, 
sooner than the least thing which God has promised 
shall fail of a fulfilment. The true Christian, then, 
is now the "Israelite indeed, "and all things are 
his, " whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or life 
or death, or things present, or things to come, all 
are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." 
The covenant of grace is not peculiar to gospel 
times ; pious Israelites were always included in the 
same covenant of promise, and inherited the same 
blessings. While the external dispensation of this 
covenant has been changed, the substance has 
remained the same. To all true believers, under 
both the old and new dispensation, God is their 
reconciled Father; Christ their Prophet, Priest, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 281 

and King ; and the Holy Spirit the source of their 
spiritual life, and of all their hopes and comforts. 

3. A third characteristic of a true Israelite is, that 
he is a worshipper of the true God. All other nations 
worshipped idols, and knew not Jehovah the living 
God. Even of the Samaritans, who professed to 
worship the God of Israel, our Lord said, "They 
worship they know not what." The genuine 
Israelite not only acknowledges Jehovah to be the 
true and only God, and renders to him external 
worship, to w.hom alone all religious worship should 
be paid ; but he worships with the heart — he prays 
to him with the understanding and with the 
spirit. Every true Israelite has, as it were, a tem- 
ple within himself, and God dwells in him. From 
the altar of his heart he offers daily, morning and 
evening, and at other times, the incense of a sincere 
and affectionate heart. To God he gives the best 
of his services. He brings his whole " body a living 
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is his 
reasonable service." God is a Spirit, and requires 
those who approach him, to worship him in spirit 
and in truth. The worship of God, with the true 
Israelite, is not a mere formal service — a drawing 
nigh with the mouth, and bowing the knee, but it 
is a service of the heart, in which its best affections 
and purposes are consecrated, as first fruits unto 
God. This service is to him not burdensome, but 
delightful. He esteems it his highest privilege to 
draw near to God ; and his language is, " One day 
in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather 
be a door-keeper in the house of God, than to dwell 
in the tents of sin." 

36 



282 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

The Israelite indeed shows his sincerity by 
worshipping God in secret, where his heavenly 
Father alone witnesses his devotion, as well as in 
public, where he is seen of men. His family too 
will attest the constancy and earnestness of his 
prayers. And, while many around him, may 
forsake the assembling themselves for the worship 
of God, the true Israelite will not be found neglect- 
ing the prayer-meeting ; and on the Lord's day, he 
rejoicos when the doors of the sanctuary are opened ; 
and when his brethren say unto him > " Come, let 
us go up to the house of the Lord." 

4. When giving the character of the true Israel- 
ite, we should not omit that circumstance which 
gave origin to the name Israel. When Jacob was 
returning with his numerous family from Mesopo- 
tamia into Canaan, his native country, from which 
he had been an exile for more than twenty years, 
he was thrown into great alarm and consternation, 
from hearing that his brother Esau, whom he had 
grievously injured, was coming to meet him with 
an armed force, of four hundred men. To contend 
with such an army, he knew that he was not 
prepared ; his only resource was in God. There- 
fore, after making the best arrangements which he 
could for the safety of his family, he retired into a 
private place to pray. And while he was there, a 
man wrestled with him until the breaking of the 
day. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh ; 
and he (Jacob) said, I will not let thee go unless 
thou bless me : and he said, What is thy name? and 
he said, Jacob. And he said, thy name shall no 
more be called Jacob, but Israel ; for, as a prince, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 283 

hast thou power with God and with man, and hast 
prevailed." Thus we see that the import of the 
name Israel is, "one who has power with God 
and prevails." Here, then, we have a striking 
characteristic of the Israelite indeed ; he is a 
mighty wrestler; he wrestles with God, by his 
fervent desires and importunate prayers. He is 
one who lays hold of the promises, by a grasp 
which nothing can loose. He fills his mouth with 
arguments, and will take no denial. 

The exercises of a soul, in offering the prayer 
of faith with importunity, are well represented by 
the act of wrestling ; for in no other case is there a 
more intense exertion of the mind. We have a re- 
markable example of that importunity, which would 
take no denial, in the Syrophenician woman, who 
applied to our Saviour when he passed near her 
residence, in behalf of her daughter, who was 
grievously tormented by a demon. She had no 
right to lay any claim to the blessings which per- 
tained to Israel, as she was of the accursed race of 
Canaan which God had doomed to utter destruc- 
tion. But urged by the necessity of the case, and 
probably encouraged by a favourable report of 
Christ's tender compassion to the afflicted, she 
resolved to make an earnest application. And so 
repeated and earnest were her cries, that the 
disciples were annoyed, and requested our Lord 
to send her aw r ay. To this he paid no attention ; 
and the earnest suppliant having pressed through 
the crowd, approached the person of the Saviour, 
and falling down before him, said, " Lord, help me." 
His answer, containing a reference to her alien 



284 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

race, seemed like a complete repulse ; for he said, 
"It is not meet to take the children's bread, and 
cast it to dogs." But even this, she, in her earn- 
estness, turned into a plea in her favour : " Truth, 
Lord," said she, "yet the dogs eat of the crumbs 
which fall from the Master's table." Though of 
the race of the Canaanites, she was indeed an 
Israelite, in spirit ; for she would not let him go 
•until he blessed her. His final answer to her 
petition is remarkable ; for it evinces, that the 
answer to believing prayer is not restricted to any 
nation, nor dependent on any external relations or 
religious rites. " Jesus answered and said unto 
her, O woman, great is thy faith ; be it unto thee as 
thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole 
from that hour." 

5. The only other characteristic which I shall 
mention as distinguishing the true Israelite, is, that 
he has the promise of an inheritance. To Israel 
after the flesh, the land of Canaan was promised. 
First, this promise was made to Abraham, then to 
Isaac and Jacob ; and afterwards, was renewed to 
the people of Israel, even when they were slaves in 
a foreign land. To give them possession of the 
promised land, they were brought out of Egypt, 
by the hand of Moses and Aaron, and were con- 
ducted through a barren and howling wilderness, 
that they might receive possession of their promised 
inheritance ; and although many failed to enter in 
because of unbelief, yet Israel, as a nation, were 
introduced into this land, under the guidance of 
Joshua ; and every Israelite received an allotment 
in this pleasant land, which is constantly described 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 285 

as "flowing with milk and honey." So also, 
the spiritual Israelite, the son of Abraham by a 
participation of his faith, has received the promise 
of an inheritance, a heavenly Canaan, where he 
shall rest from all his conflicts and all his toils 
and temptations. There already, we know from 
the infallible word of our Lord himself, are Abra- 
ham, Isaac and Jacob; and all the children of 
Abraham who died in the faith are gathered to 
their father's bosom ; where they shall enjoy eter- 
nal peace and consolation, far beyond what they 
can now conceive. " There remaineth a rest 
for the people of God." This inheritance is de- 
scribed by the apostle Peter, as " incorruptible, 
undefiled, and that fadeth not away." And it 
is reserved for all believers; and is made sure 
to them, for they are kept by the power of God, 
through faith unto salvation. 

Israel, when all who belong to this holy nation 
shall be gathered together, will indeed be more 
numerous than the stars of heaven. They will 
form a company, which no man can number, and 
every one of them will possess a true heart, an 
undissembled love to their Joshua, and a fervent 
love to one another; and every Israelite shall 
enjoy his allotted portion. 

It may be useful to make a few remarks 
on this interesting portion of the evangelical 
history ; and 

1. The conduct of Philip must be highly ap- 
proved, and should be imitated. He had found 
the Saviour, and was fully persuaded, that he was 
the Messiah, predicted by Moses in the law, and 



286 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

by all the prophets, and therefore he desires to 
make his friends also acquainted with the divine 
Redeemer. This is often observed in genuine con- 
verts. One of their first thoughts after experienc- 
ing pardoning mercy, is, to bring to the Saviour 
their friends and acquaintances. Too often, how- 
ever, not meeting with the success which they 
expected, they cease their efforts, and give up the 
hope of their conversion, as desperate ; or, at least, 
as not likely to be accomplished through their 
instrumentality. In this they do wrong. They 
should never despair of the salvation of any one; and 
should never cease to invite and urge them to come 
to Christ, for there is no other name by which they 
can be saved. 

2. We may learn from the case of Nathanael, 
that although good men are subject to be prejudiced 
against the servants of God, yet, when they have 
the opportunity of being better acquainted with 
them, these prejudices are sure to be dissipated; 
and their dislike converted into cordial attachment. 
It is, therefore, a very desirable- thing to bring the 
people of God, and especially, the ministers of the 
gospel, into a more intimate acquaintance with each 
other. By this means, they will find that most of 
their prejudices were unfounded, and that there is 
a nearer agreement among the children of God, in 
all practical matters, and especially, in their reli- 
gious exercises, than either party apprehended. 
They may, and do differ in their speculative opin- 
ions, and in their external forms of worship ; but 
such a difference is consistent with their being of 
one heart, and of one spirit. Bigoted sectaries 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 287 

aim to keep up the walls of separation, but Chris- 
tian love pants after unity with all the real 
children of God. 

3. Another remark suggested by the history of 
Nathanael is, that our Lord is the witness of every 
action of our lives ; and especially, of every exercise 
of devotion. He sees us, when we are concealed 
from the view of all mortals. He hears the prayer 
which is offered up, in the recesses of the forest or 
grove. Nathanael, under the fig-tree, felt himself 
to be retired from all the world, but there the eye 
of Christ was upon him. Hannah, when she 
wrestled with God for her Samuel and was heard, 
uttered no sound, but only moved her lips. No 
person present knew what was passing in her 
mind. Eli, the priest, who observed that she was 
much agitated by some internal cause, uncharit- 
ably attributed it to strong drink; but God, who 
searcheth the heart, knew the fervent desires of 
her inmost soul, and immediately returned an 
answer ; in mercy bestowing the very gift for which 
she so earnestly prayed. The softest w T hisper 
of prayer, when prompted by sincere faith en- 
ters into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. It is 
not necessary to the efficacy of prayer, that it 
should be expressed even in a whisper; for our 
Lord would have all the churches to know that it 
is he who " searcheth the reins and the hearts." 
Therefore, the sincere desire which is not expressed 
by any external sign, is known to him, and is as 
acceptable as if uttered in a loud voice. We do 
indeed, read much in the Psalms of crying aloud 



288 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

unto God ; and it is very natural for strong desires 
to seek for expression by the voice. It is often 
profitable to employ our voice even in secret prayer, 
because the sound of our own voice has a tendency 
to confine the thoughts from wandering, and also 
to stir up some lively emotion within us. An ex- 
perienced writer recommends the chanting of the 
Psalms, in the tone which nature prompts, as 
serviceable to excite the sluggish feelings. But 
still, the secret breathing of the heart is real prayer, 
and is often heard and answered. Through unbe- 
lief, w T e are prone to think of God as removed to a 
great distance from us, whereas we ought to have 
the impressive conviction, that we are in his imme- 
diate presence, and that he is the witness of all the 
desires and emotions of our hearts. In nothing, is 
there a greater difference between our theoretical 
and practical belief, than in regard to the omni- 
presence and omniscience of God. No Christian 
ever hesitates about ascribing these attributes to 
Jehovah ; but alas ! how faint is the impression of 
these truths on our minds ; even when professedly 
engaged in his solemn worship. 

4. Finally, we learn from our Lord's address to 
Nathanael, that sincerity in our religion is essential. 
He is described as being " without guile." No- 
thing, not even open impiety, is more odious in the 
sight of God, than hypocrisy. On account of this 
vice, our blessed Lord denounced, in the severest 
language, the Pharisees of his day, who made the 
loudest professions, and exhibited to the world the 
greatest show of devotion and strict godliness. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 289 

He compares them to whited sepulchres, which 
although beautiful without, were within full of 
rottenness and dead men's bones. They made 
clean the outside of the cup and platter, but alto- 
gether neglected to cleanse the inside ; whereas, all 
that is excellent in religion must come from the 
heart. As out of it proceed evil thoughts and every 
species of sin ; so it is also the seat of every Chris- 
tian virtue, and of every holy temper. The fear 
of God, the love of God, faith, penitence, humility, 
submission, zeal, brotherly love, and every other 
pious exercise must proceed from the heart. One 
characteristic of the wisdom which is from above — 
which is nothing else than true religion — is, that 
it is " without hypocrisy." 

Let us, then, be diligent in searching our own 
hearts, to ascertain whether indeed we belong to 
the true Israel of God — whether we are in the 
faith — whether Christ dwells in us — whether he 
possesses the throne in our hearts — whether we 
are divorced from all our former idols — whether 
we have evidence of having been renewed in the 
spirit of our minds — whether we are united to 
Christ as the living branch to the vine — and 
whether, as an evidence of this union, we are new 
creatures, old things having passed away, and all 
things become new. 

Sincere religion is not that which a man believes 
to be right, but it is that which is right. In the 
New Testament sense, sincerity is that which will 
stand the strictest scrutiny — which will bear to be 
examined in the clearest light. 

37 



290 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Now, as the consequences of being right, and 
possessing genuine piety, are of infinite moment, 
we ought to give the subject our utmost attention 
and never rest, until every doubt is removed ; and 
as our hearts are deceitful above all things, we 
should most earnestly pray to God, to search and 
try us ; lest at last, we should discover, when it is 
too late, that we were not of the number of the 
true, spiritual Israel. 



SERMON XXI. 



GOD TO BE GLORIFIED BY THOSE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE. 



Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore 
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which are God's. — 
1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. 



The religion of the Bible relates to the two great 
branches of human duty, the things to be believed, 
and the things to be done. These truths are 
exhibited in various methods ; sometimes in a more 
general and comprehensive manner, and at other 
times particular points are distinctly brought into 
view. The doctrines and precepts of the gospel, 
though they may be distinguished, must not be 
separated. There exists an intimate connexion 
between them. The objects of our faith are not 
matters of mere speculation; they furnish the 
motives which should impel the Christian to the 
performance of duty; and duty cannot be rightly 
performed, unless under the influence of the belief 
of these doctrines. Faith and good works have, 
therefore, an indissoluble connexion, so that where 

291 



292 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

there are no good works, it must be concluded, that, 
whatever boast may be made of believing the truth, 
the faith is not genuine and saving. 

In the words of the text, we have a doctrine and 
a duty inculcated in their relation to each other. 
The duty is so comprehensive, that it includes the 
whole circle of Christian duties, for it is a command 
to glorify God with our bodies and spirits; and 
evidently, this comprehends every duty which 
God requires of man. The doctrine taught, and 
presented as a motive for our obedience, is so 
powerful, that though it cannot be said strictly to 
embrace every doctrine of the gospel, yet it super- 
sedes the necessity of calling in the aid of any 
other motive. It is the doctrine of redemption — 
redemption from sin and misery by a ransom — a 
ranson of such inestimable value, that nothing can 
be added to it. They who are thus redeemed from 
death, by another, are no longer their own. All 
their faculties belong to him who has bought them. 
They are bound by the law of gratitude to conform 
their conduct, henceforth, to the will of their 
Redeemer. 

In the further prosecution of the subject, we 
shall first consider the duty; and secondly, the 
motive offered for its performance. 

1. The duty is, "to glorify God, with our bodies 
and spirits." Let us begin with the latter. How 
may we glorify God with our spirits, that is, with 
our rational souls ? 

This we may do, in the first place, by making 
use of the reason with which we are endowed, in 
contemplating the character of God as made known 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 293 

to us in his works and in his word. To enable us 
to perform this duty was the principal end of our 
Creator, in making us intelligent beings ; and our 
reason can never be exercised on any subject so 
noble and excellent. And as our rational faculties 
were given to enable us to contemplate the divine 
attributes, so also to search after the knowledge of 
God. Although " none by searching can rind out 
the Almighty to perfection," yet, by diligent atten- 
tion to the book of nature, and to the Bible, we may 
learn much of God that was not apparent at the 
first view. Every rational creature should, there- 
fore, seek assiduously to know God, as far as he has 
revealed himself: Things unrevealed, we have no 
concern with. They do not respect our faith and 
practice ; and it is presumptuous in us to endeavour 
to pry into them, according to that declaration in 
the law, " The secret things belong unto the Lord, 
our God, but those things which are revealed, 
belong to us and our children for ever, that we 
may do all the words of this law." 

Again, we glorify God when we readily and 
firmly believe and rely upon all that he has said. 
God is better pleased with no act of his creatures 
than faith in his declarations ; especially, when they 
are contrary to the notions which we naturally 
adopt from our own reason, as probable. Such a 
faith was conspicuous in Abraham, on account of 
which he obtained the honourable appellation of 
" the father of the faithful." " Who, against hope," 
as says Paul, "believed in hope, that he might 
become the father of many nations." Though what 
God promised seemed impossible, according to the 



294 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

course of nature; yet, "he was not weak in faith' ' 
— " he staggered not at the promise through unbe- 
lief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God." 
We may also glorify God in our spirits, by setting 
our affections supremely on him, and by the con- 
stant and lively exercise of pure love. This, 
indeed, is the essential thing in religion. Without 
love or charity, Paul assures us, that all knowledge 
and all faith will profit nothing. Of all excellent 
gifts and graces, this is the most excellent, and 
shall abide for ever. 

No honour given to any one can be equal to our 
sincere and supreme love. This, therefore, was 
the original demand of the law of God ; and as that 
law is immutable, the same thing is now demanded ; 
and, in the same proportion as we love God, in the 
same we obey the law ; and thus we come to the 
conclusion, that we cannot glorify God so effectu- 
ally in any other way, as by obeying his law. 

We, moreover, glorify God by forming such pur- 
poses as are in accordance with the divine will. 
The character of every man is determined by the 
habitual bent and purpose of his will. All human 
actions flow from the will; this is, therefore, the 
mainspring of all good conduct. Man's depravity 
consists mainly in the opposition of his will to the 
will of God. But when the will is renewed, the 
purposes of the heart are decidedly for God and 
his service. The stubborn will, naturally so selfish, 
is now subdued; and the sincere inquiry of the 
soul is, What is God's will ? Now, such a person 
can truly say, " My heart is fixed, God, my heart 
is fixed." " Thy will be done, as in heaven so in 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 295 

earth." And even when the manifestations of the 
divine will are contrary to the natural affections 
and inclinations of the person, he learns to 
acquiesce in the divine will. "It is the Lord, let 
him do what seemeth him good." 

All our duty, however, does not consist in action. 
In this world the children of God are all subject to 
various afflictions. These they are taught to con- 
sider as paternal chastisements, which are intended 
to work in them the peaceable fruits of righteous- 
ness ; and the rod of chastisement is used to correct 
their faults, and to make them partakers of his holi- 
ness. These afflictions are properly called trials, 
because they bring to the test our submission to the 
will of God. It is much easier to be thankful for 
mercies received, than to be cheerfully submissive 
when our comforts are taken away. Our natural and 
lawful affections are apt to become inordinate, and it 
is found hard to resign our possession of objects 
which have been long enjoyed. The bereavement 
of dear friends is a sore affliction. None knows the 
bitterness of soul produced by the loss of such, until 
he has had some experience of these trials. How- 
ever well we may be acquainted with the reasons 
which should have influence to make us submissive 
to the will of our heavenly Father, and may assent to 
them all, and acknowledge their weight ; yet, when 
the trial actually comes upon ourselves, we find theo- 
ry to be very different from practice. At first, even 
the Christian under severe chastisement is like 
<; a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke ;" but after 
struggling awhile, he learns to submit, and finds 



296 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

resignation the best remedy for every species of 
trouble. And in proportion as submission is cliffl 
cult, on account of its crossing the inclinations of 
the flesh, in the same proportion is it pleasing to 
God ; and by having our wills swallowed up in the 
divine will, we glorify God as much as in any 
other way. Afflicted saints, confined to their beds 
or their houses, often feel as though they were cut 
off from all opportunity of glorifying their heavenly 
Father; whereas they are placed in a situation in 
which they can glorify him more effectually than 
by active service. Their humble submission to the 
divine will, and their cheerful resignation of the 
dearest objects of their earthly affections, at the 
call of his providence, is a sacrifice with which 
God is ever well pleased. We may, in this way, 
glorify God even in death, when with childlike 
submission we part with life and all its enjoyments, 
and give up our souls into the hands of him who 
gave them. " Whether we live, we live unto the 
Lord ; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord." 

Finally, under this head, we glorify God with 
our spirits, when we constantly and deliberately 
aim at his glory : when, in all that we do, or under- 
take, we set before our minds the glory of God, as 
our highest end ; and when, in the ardour of our 
zeal, we call upon every one around us to join in 
ascribing glory to his name, and not only so, but 
invite all nature to join in the chorus of praise. 
Thus the royal Psalmist often invites all creatures 
to praise the Lord. 

But in our text, the apostle speaks of glorifying 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 297 

God with our bodies, as well as our spirits. Let 
us, then, inquire how our bodies may become 
instruments of glorifying God. 

In the first place, we glorify God when our 
bodies are preserved from impurity and intemper- 
ance. This was the very idea which the apostle 
had in his mind, when he introduced the word 
bodies ; for he had just said, in the beginning of the 
nineteenth verse, "What! know ye not that your 
bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is 
in you, and which ye have of God?" As the 
temple of God must be holy, so it must be preserved 
from all impurity of the flesh. This is so offensive 
to God, that in a parallel passage, it is said, " If 
any man defile the temple of God, him will God 
destroy." So, also, the body should be kept free 
from those disorders and insane perturbations pro- 
duced by inebriating drinks and drugs, and also 
from all undue repletion of food. The passions 
and appetites, which have their seat in the body, 
must be held under a strong restraint. And as a 
pure and temperate condition of the body is 
requisite to the performance of any duty, and neces- 
sary to the right exercise of the mind itself, it is a 
duty of high obligation to keep the body under 
due government, lest fleshly lusts which war 
against the soul should subdue it, and involve it in 
ruin. Paul says, " I keep under my body lest 
while I preach to others, I myself should be a 
castaway." 

Again, as man consists of body and spirit, and as 
both have been derived from God, it is reasonable 

38 



298 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

that both should be employed in his service. 
Various duties requiring bodily action are there- 
fore enjoined ; and all the institutions of social and 
public worship demand the employment of bodily 
organs and members. We are bound to worship 
God with our bodies, as well as with our minds. 
We must bow down before him, and by external 
actions and gestures, manifest our reverence for the 
divine majesty. 

Besides, God is to be praised with our voice in 
the assembly of his saints, and it is written, " He 
that ofTereth praise, glorifleth me." With the 
tongue then, we should continually glorify the 
name of the most High. To animate our praise, 
we need the aid of sacred music. " Praise ye the 
Lord ; for it is good to sing praises unto our God ; 
for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.' 7 

Moreover, as God is glorified by acts of benefi- 
cence and charity, and indeed, by every species 
of good works ; and all these require the instrumen- 
tality of the body ; so we may be said to glorify 
God by every good work which we can perform. 
We glorify him by the common labours of our 
hands, whether in the house, or in the field. Those 
in the most abject circumstances in the world, have 
it in their power to glorify God, by diligently per- 
forming the duties of their station and places. 
Thus Paul exhorts servants, who were in bondage, 
"Obey," says he, "in all things your masters 
according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men- 
pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God ; 
and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 299 

and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye 
shall receive the reward of the inheritance ; for ye 
serve the Lord Christ." 

Our hands may be made to glorify God, when 
they are opened in acts of liberality and benefi- 
cence. When, possessed of abundance of the good 
things of this life, you supply the wants of 
Christ's poor brethren, it will be openly acknow- 
ledged in the day of judgment. Even if you give 
a cup of cold water to a disciple in the name of a 
disciple, you shall not lose your reward. Cer- 
tainly, he who advances the kingdom of Christ by 
preaching his gospel, or by contributing to the 
support of those who do ; and who makes a pious 
and liberal use of the wealth which God has 
bestowed upon him, does thus glorify Him, from 
whom w r ealth is received. Rich men labour under 
some great disadvantages, as it relates to the salva- 
tion of their souls ; but they possess one means of 
glorifying God which others want. They have the 
"mammon of unrighteousness," by the wise use of 
which they may make themselves friends. Let 
them, then, "do good and communicate, for with 
such sacrifices God is well pleased." O rich man, 
let not the rust of your hoarded gold and silver 
testify against you. The talents with which you 
are entrusted must not be buried, but diligently 
employed for the interest and honour of your Lord. 

In short, we are bound to glorify God in all 
things. " Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever 
ye do, do all to the glory of God." Good works 
send forth a shining light, and have a tendency 
to lead others, who see them, to glorify our Father 



300 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

in heaven, according to that precept of our Lord 
" Let your light so shine, that others seeing your 
good works may glorify your Father in heaven." 
A holy, exemplary life is the most effectual method 
of glorifying God, before men. If we set before 
us, daily, the example of Christ, and follow it, we 
shall not fail to glorify God. " Let the same mind 
be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." 
Imitate his example, " who went about doing good ;" 
and neglect not to ascribe to God the glory due to 
his august and holy name. 

II. We come to consider and urge the motive 
for our glorifying God, mentioned in our text. 
"Ye are not your own — ye are bought with a 
price." When it is said, that we are not our own, 
the meaning is, that we are the property of the 
Lord. Every one has a right to the use and bene- 
fit of what properly belongs to him. If we are 
God's, then he may rightfully require all the ser- 
vice and obedience which we are capable of render- 
ing. If he is our Owner, we should employ 
our faculties of mind and body to glorify him. 
The apostle might have founded God's right to us 
on creation. He who makes any thing, among 
men, has the best title to it ; but man can make 
nothing unless the materials be furnished. God 
first produced the material, and then fashioned and 
constituted it, in a very wonderful manner. But 
the apostle says nothing of this, and why ? because 
his mind was fully occupied with another subject — 
Redemption. "Ye are," says he, "bought with a 
price." The redemption of captives was an idea 
very familiar to the ancient Greeks and Romans. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 301 

As by the customs of war, every prisoner was made 
a- slave, it often happened, that persons of wealthy 
and respectable families, would be thus separated 
from their parents, brothers, and sisters ; and from 
their wives and children, where they had families 
of their own. It is not surprising, therefore, that it 
frequently happened, that the relatives of the cap- 
tive in slavery, would raise a sum sufficient to 
ransom their friend, and would send a suitable 
person to find him out, and to pay his redemption 
price, and bring him home. Suppose a father or 
brother to go in search of the lost son or brother. 
He encounters every peril, by land or sea, makes 
his way over mountains and deserts, until he arrives 
at the spot where the captive, confined with chains, 
is labouring under the lash, it may be, of a cruel 
master. What would be the feelings, do you sup- 
pose, of a number of captives confined together, 
when it should be announced, that a Redeemer 
had arrived with a large ransom to deliver some 
one of them ? How, in such circumstances, would 
alternate hope and fear agitate every bosom ! But 
when the fortunate captive heard his own name 
called, who can describe his exultation ? The good 
news is so unexpected, and the tidings so joyful, 
that he at first, can scarcely believe the report. 
But when he sees the face of his father or brother, 
and sees the ransom paid, and finds himself freed 
from his fetters, his heart is as full of joy as it 
can hold. He springs forward and embraces 
his kind redeemer. He exults, and weeps, and 
laughs — and knows not how to give expression to 
his feelings. This is literally what is meant by 



302 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

redemption. Sometimes, indeed, the word is used 
for any great deliverance ; but primarily and pro- 
perly, it means to buy with a price. And so the 
apostle says to the Christians of Corinth, " Ye are 
bought with a price." 

The deliverance of sinners from death by the 
Lord Jesus Christ, bears therefore a striking analo- 
gy to the redemption of captives. Men are taken 
captive by the devil. They are bound fast in the 
cords of iniquity. They cannot liberate themselves, 
nor can this redemption be effected by any one but 
the Son of God. But, though the analogy is strik- 
ing, yet there are three circumstances in the 
redemption of the sinner, which distinguish it from 
that which takes among men. 

1 . When one went to redeem his brother or friend, 
though he might have far to go, and many difficul- 
ties to encounter, before he found the unhappy 
captive, still he had not to go out of the world ; 
but when Christ, as our elder brother, undertook 
the ransom of his people, it was necessary for him 
to descend from heaven to earth — from the throne 
of majesty to a stable and a manger. 

2. When an earthly redeemer set off in search 
of an enslaved son, or brother, he had indeed to 
obtain and take with him a ransom — and it might 
be a large sum which was requisite, for those who 
now held the captive in bondage, would raise their 
demand in proportion to the wealth of the friends 
Still the price consisted of silver or gold or precious 
stones, or some valuable earthly commodity. But 
when the Son of God came into the world to 
redeem lost sinners, he must lay down a ransom of 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 303 

a very different nature. Silver and gold go for 
nothing in this transaction. All the treasures in 
the bowels of the earth are insufficient to redeem 
one soul. The price required is blood — and no 
other blood will answer, but that of the Redeemer 
himself. Yes, the Son of God must assume our 
nature, that he might have blood to offer as a ran- 
som. " Lo, I come, O God," says he, " to do thy 
will." " A body hast thou prepared me." Having 
been " made of a woman, and made under the law," 
he bore the stroke of divine justice due to the 
sinner, and by becoming a curse for him, redeemed 
him from the curse of the law. " For," says Peter, 
" we are redeemed, not with silver or gold, but 
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb with- 
out blemish and without spot." O Christian ! 
behold the blood flowing from the heart of the 
Lamb of God. This, this was the price paid for 
your redemption. 

3. This redemption is distinguished from the 
transaction so called among men, by the nature 
of the bondage and captivity under which the 
sinner was confined. He was first under a just 
sentence of condemnation from the law of God. 
Next, he was held bound in cords of iniquity, 
which no created arm could loose. And lastly, he 
was lying under the cruel tyranny of Satan, the 
worst of masters. From all these our Redeemer 
came " to save his people." He removed the 
curse of the law by bearing it in his own body on 
the tree. He saves his people also from their sins 
by the washing of regeneration and the renewing 
of the Holy Ghost, and he dispossesses Satan by 



304 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

his superior power. " When a strong man armed 
keepeth his house, his goods are in peace, but 
when a stronger than he cometh, he taketh away 
his armour wherein he trusted and divideth the 
spoils." Christ came " to destroy the works of the 
devil." Paul was sent " to turn the heathen from 
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to 
God;" and Christians are "translated from the 
power of darkness to the kingdom of God's dear 
Son." 

Now, those who have been thus redeemed owe 
a debt of gratitude which, without exaggeration, 
may be said to be infinite. No wonder Paul 
judged it unnecessary to urge other motives. If 
this has not power to influence us to glorify God, 
no others can possess such a powf r. Let us, then, 
cordially and cheerfully spend our lives in glorify- 
ing God, with our body and spirit which are his. 



REFLECTIONS. 

1. Let us reflect penitently on our culpable 
neglect of this great duty, of glorifying God with 
our bodies and spirits which are God's. Though 
we may not be chargeable with a total neglect of 
duty ; though we may have had this as the highest 
object of pursuit, for years past ; though we may 
be conscious that we have desired and purposed to 
make every other pursuit subordinate to this chief 
end ; yet, upon a retrospect of his past life, who is not 
constrained to confess that there has been a great 
failure in coming up to the requirements of God, 
all of which are most reasonable ? And not only 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 305 

have we come short of that perfection which the 
law demands, but we have not reached that degree 
of perfection at which we fondly anticipated that 
we should arrive. Deep humility and sincere 
repentance are the feelings which should possess 
our minds in looking back on the past. 

2. We should endeavour to obtain a lively feel- 
ing of our obligations to the Redeemer. We 
should often remember, that we are redeemed 
captives, bought off from a cruel servitude, from 
galling chains ; yea, from certain death, not of the 
body only, but also of the soul — a death of never 
ending misery. And let us endeavour to excite 
within our cold hearts, the emotions of lively grati- 
tude, by contemplating the price of our redemption; 
not silver or gold* or any mundane treasures, but 
the precious blood of the Lamb of God ! And let 
us meditate not only on the gift, but on the motive 
which prompted it. There is no greater mystery 
than the love of God to sinners. In this love there 
is a depth, and height, and length, and breadth, 
which passeth knowledge. What shall we render 
to the Lord? What can we render for such a 
benefit ? The best return we can make is to give 
ourselves away to our Redeemer. We are not our 
own ; he hath bought us with a price. All our facul- 
ties of mind are his, and should be consecrated to his 
service. All the members of our bodies should be 
employed, as " instruments of righteousness." All 
the power or influence which we may possess over 
others, should be exerted to bring them to join us 
in this reasonable and exalted work of glorifying 
God. All our property should be sacredly devoted 

39 



306 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

to the service of the Lord. He gave it, and he has 
a right to it ; yea, he has bought ourselves with an 
inestimable price, and this includes all that we 
possess. Let those, then, that have wealth consider 
themselves as the stewards of God ; and let them 
prove faithful in dispensing their Lord's goods, 
His language to such is, " Occupy till I come." 

3. Let us esteem it a great privilege to be the 
redeemed servants of the Lord. It is the highest 
honour which we can enjoy ; and he never requires 
his servants to be losers by their sacrifices, labours, 
and privations for his sake. Our highest happiness 
also is inseparably connected with the performance 
of this duty. All who forsake God, forsake the 
fountain of living waters ; but they who glorify him, 
shall enjoy him for ever. All the inhabitants of 
heaven glorify God with all their powers ; and in 
glorifying him, they find complete blessedness. 
Their felicity is sweetly conjoined with their duty. 
If they should cease to glorify God, they would 
instantly cease to be happy. The servants of God 
here below, are only truly happy, while they are 
found glorifying their Father in heaven. The 
more we lose sight of self the better. The more 
we are absorbed in the desire to glorify our 
Redeemer, the more is our true happiness promoted. 

Finally, let us remember that the time which 
remains to many of us, I may say, all of us, is short. 
We cannot return to live our lives over again, to 
finish the work which we may now neglect. If we 
are convinced that we have not improved the time 
gone by, as we ought to have done, the only way 
by which we can redeem lost time is by making 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 307 

the best possible use of what remains. Be up and 
doing — the night comes on apace — the day is far 
spent. The Master will soon require of us an 
account of our stewardship. Every day we should 
act under the deep impression of the account which 
we must give to Christ when we stand before his 
tribunal. Let every one endeavour so to im- 
prove the talents committed to him, as to be 
privileged to hear the welcome laudatory, " Well 
done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy 
of thy Lord." 



SEEMON XXII. 



THE WAY IN WHICH GOD LEADS HIS PEOPLE. 



And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not ; I will lead 
them in paths that they have not known : I will make darkness 
light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will 
I do unto them, and not forsake them. — Isaiah xlii. 16. 



The person who speaks, in this place, is Jehovah, 
whom the prophet describes in strains of true 
sublimity. " Thus saith God the Lord, he that 
created the heavens, and stretched them out : he 
that spread forth the earth, and that which came 
out of it : he that giveth breath unto the people 
upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein. I am 
Jehovah, that is my name, and my glory will I not 
give to another, nor my praise to graven images." 

In the whole of the former part of this chapter, 
the character of the Messiah and his rich endow- 
ments are described and predicted. And in the 
words of our text, Jehovah speaks of his chosen 
people, whom he hath determined to bring to 
Mount Zion, where the throne and kingdom of 
Messiah is established for ever. "And I will bring 
308 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 309 

the blind," &c. They are called " blind," because 
in their state of alienation, they know nothing 
spiritually of the true God, nor of the way of return 
to Mount Zion. Their condition is often repre- 
sented by that of Israel in captivity, in a foreign 
land, who are entirely ignorant of the way in which 
they can be released, or of the pathway by which 
they may return to Mount Zion. Spiritual blind- 
ness hangs heavy on the eyes of all the true Israel, 
in their natural state. They are " darkness" — they 
are " children of wrath even as others." 

But Jehovah promises to lead his blind people 
in the right way to Zion. 

Jerusalem and Zion were the established types 
of the true spiritual church of God ; and the way 
along which they were conducted, in their return 
from Babylon, or any foreign land of captivity, will 
represent the way of salvation. Of this way, God's 
own chosen people are entirely ignorant, until they 
are led into it by the teaching of the word and 
Spirit of the Lord ; and they are not merely ignor- 
ant of this way, but have taken up exceedingly- 
erroneous conceptions of it. The people of God, 
in their unregenerate state, are involved in the 
same darkness which enshrouds the minds of 
others ; and when effectually called, are often found 
wandering in devious paths, at the remotest dis- 
tance from the right way. 

But in Scripture, "darkness" is not only the 
emblem of ignorance and error, but of misery also. 
The place of future misery, is always represented 
as a place of extreme darkness ; and the same figure 
is often employed to set forth the miseries of this 



310 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

mortal life ; and, truly, man in his natural state, is 
subject to all that this expressive emblem imports. 
He feels a thousand things which he can neither 
remove nor mitigate : and the burden of his misery 
increases with his years. Often, too, such reflec- 
tions and apprehensions enter his mind, as convince 
him that the thousandth part of the woe to which 
he is heir, is not yet felt. He dreads the arrival of 
that day w T hich will fully make known to him how 
miserable he is. Against these approaching and 
accumulating evils, he is acquainted with no better 
refuge than to shut his eyes and refuse to look the 
danger in the face ; as some silly birds are said to 
do when closely pursued. 

By the illumination of the Holy Spirit, however, 
this darkness is turned into light. The sun of 
righteousness arises upon the long benighted soul ; 
and the eye which never saw before, is opened to 
look upon " a new heaven and a new earth." The 
darkness disappears, and the dawn of a heavenly 
day is experienced. " If any man be in Christ, he 
is a new creature; old things are passed away, 
behold, all things are become new." 

But Jehovah not only promises to make dark- 
ness light before them, but " crooked things 
straight." The ways of iniquity are called 
" crooked," because they are deviations from the 
perfect rule of God's law, which is represented by 
a straight line ; and they may be so called, because 
of their inconstancy and inconsistency. The sinner 
first pursues one forbidden object, then another. 
Continual change seems to be the common lot of 
transgressors. In childhood, youth, manhood, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 311 

old age, different objects are pursued. There is a 
perpetual turning from one pursuit to another; yet 
every path in which he goes is " crooked." His 
ways are also inconsistent. There is no harmony 
in sin. One strong passion impels the sinner in 
one direction ; then another urges him in a different 
course ; and sometimes the one, and sometimes the 
other, gaining a governing influence over the man, 
his ways are rendered " crooked." As a ship, 
without rudder or compass, driven by fierce winds, 
pursues no steady course ; so sinners are driven by 
every gale, and pursue every course but the right 
one. But from these crooked paths the sheep of 
Christ shall be reclaimed, and shall " make straight 
paths to their feet." They are made to hear the 
Shepherd's voice and follow him, and shall wander 
no more ; but be led in the highway, which will 
conduct them through green pastures, and by 
pleasant streams to Mount Zion, where, collected 
in the peaceful fold, they " shall go no more out." 
Finally, Jehovah promises that he " will not for- 
sake them." This last promise is essential to their 
comfort; for if the Great Shepherd should only 
bring the wandering sheep into the right way, and 
then forsake them, soon would they be found fatally 
straying, and would inevitably be lost; or, after 
leading them along the right way for years, if he, 
at the last stage of their pilgrimage, should leave 
his redeemed saints to themselves, the consequence 
would be, that not one of them would be able to 
reach the heavenly Jerusalem. So true is that say- 
ing of Jesus, "without me ye can do nothing." 
But our covenant-keeping Jehovah pledges his 



312 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

truth, and faithfulness, to his people. He says, 
" These things will I do unto them, and not for- 
sake them." Let this sweet promise be as a 
cordial to our desponding hearts. It is a promise 
often repeated, as being much needed, for the com- 
fort of God's people. He solemnly declares, " I 
will never leave thee nor forsake thee :" but lest our 
timidity and unbelief should suggest that there is 
still no security, because we may forsake God 
after all our experience of his love. To render assur- 
ance doubly sure, he says, " I will not turn away 
from them to do them good ; but I will put my fear 
into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." 

Having given a general exposition of the text, our 
object will now be to show, that from the beginning 
to the end of their pilgrimage, God leads his people 
in a way, which previous to experience they 
know not. 

This truth shall be illustrated by the induction 
of a number of particulars, connected with the 
leadings of the Spirit and providence of God. 

All the acts and operations of the Almighty, in 
the world of nature, as well as grace, are inscruta- 
ble. " There is none by searching can find out 
God." " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and 
thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell 
whence it cometh, or whither it goeth ; so is every 
one that is born of the Spirit." 

But to speak of the mysteriousness of these 
divine operations in nature, providence or grace, is 
not the object now in view. The nature of the 
Christian's experience is the subject which will be 
brought under consideration. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 313 

1. The true nature of conviction of sin, is a thing 
of which the called of God have no distinct 
knowledge, prior to experience. 

There is, no doubt, a great diversity in the exer- 
cises and circumstances of souls under conviction. 
Some are agitated with awful terror, while others 
are gently led to a view of the aberrations of their 
hearts and lives from the law of God ; but in all 
that is essential to conviction, there is a precise 
similarity in the experience of all Christians. The 
end attained in every case is the same, though the 
steps, by which it is arrived at, may be exceedingly 
different. 

Every man who is brought under the convictions 
of the Spirit — for all true conviction is his work — 
is made serious, and brought to a solemn considera- 
tion of his ways. Serious consideration, therefore, 
may be said, always to be the first step in a reli- 
gious life. The multitude are destroyed for want 
of this. They cannot be persuaded to lay aside 
their frivolity, and their worldly cares; nor to con- 
sider what they are, and whither they are going. 
But the first touch of divine influence on the mind, 
renders the hitherto careless soul deeply serious. 
An awakened attention to divine things is experi- 
enced. The man begins to hear with other ears, 
to see with other eyes, and to entertain other 
thoughts and feelings, than he was wont to do. 
The past, the present, and the future, engage his 
attention. He asks himself, " What am I ? whither 
am I tending ? What have I been doing all my 
life ? and what are my prospects beyond the 
grave ?" Though accustomed to hear the word all 

40 



314 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

his life, it now appears like a new thing — like a 
message from God to himself; and he can hardly 
be persuaded that the preacher has not undergone 
a great change ; or has not learned to preach new 
doctrines ; for the truths which now rivet his atten- 
tion, he never understood; nor did they before 
make any but a momentary impression on his 
mind. The awakened soul is often ready to ex- 
claim, " Surely I never heard these awfully solemn, 
and highly interesting truths before, or I should 
have been affected by them." Not only the word 
preached, but read, appears new. He takes down 
from the shelf the long neglected Bible, which was 
kept in the house more for the sake of decency, 
than for use ; and shaking off the dust of years, he 
opens the sacred volume ; and whilst he reads, he 
holds up a faithful mirror, which exhibits to him 
his own moral features. Here he sees the evil of 
his past life reflected in a clear, strong light, upon 
his conscience. Sometimes the truth is so pungent, 
and penetrates the mind with so much pain, that 
he is tempted to lay aside the book. The more 
the awakened sinner reads, meditates, and hears 
of the truth, the more uneasy he becomes, and the 
more dangerous does his condition appear to be. 
At first, gross sins, or palpable neglects of duty, 
engage his attention, and affect his conscience ; and 
these defects he attempts to reform ; but he soon is 
made to see, that not merely a few, but all his 
actions have been " evil, and only evil, and that 
continually, from his youth up." As the light of 
conviction increases, he becomes conscious that the 
fountain from which these streams issue, is within 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 315 

him, and is entirely polluted — that "the heart is 
deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" 
— and is continually sending forth streams of wicked 
thoughts and desires. To reform the life, where 
habits of iniquity have become inveterate, is no 
easy task; but who can regulate the • thoughts, 
desires, and volitions? Who can command the 
affections to fix with due intensity on their 
proper objects ? Who is found able to purify the 
inner man, and restrain all wanderings of thought 
and desire? Alas! boasted ability turns out to be 
a mere illusion of an unenlightened mind ; and yet 
the sinner under conviction excuses not himself 
on account of his inability. He is deeply conscious 
that it is his own fault. It is the very core of his 
iniquity. He feels most sensibly that he ought to 
love God, but his wicked heart refuses. He is 
convinced that it is his duty to come believingly 
and penitently to Christ for grace and salvation, 
but his obstinate will is reluctant; and his heart 
remains callous and ungrateful under all the repre- 
sentations of God's wonderful love, and Christ's 
tender compassion, which induced him to endure 
the cross and despise the shame. This conviction 
of deep-rooted depravity and helplessness, is a state 
of mind the most distressing that can well be con- 
ceived. The convinced sinner feels as if he could 
take vengeance on himself, for having acted so 
shamefully, so foolishly, so wickedly. He groans 
under the burden of his iniquity, like a slave under 
hard bondage, and under the lash of a severe task- 
master. But the sinner thus convinced, does not 
feel tenderly; nor is he sensible of pungent pain. 



316 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

This want of tender feelings, and sensible heart- 
breaking, is the very thing which gives him mosi 
distress. Such an one will often be heard to 
exclaim, ' I have no conviction of sin — no convic- 
tion bearing any proportion to my enormous trans- 
gressions-*-I am quite stupid and insensible — Sure- 
ly, there never was lodged in any human breast, a 
heart so impenetrably hard. Nothing moves or 
softens it in the least. It remains equally unaffect- 
ed with the joys of paradise, and the pains of hell ; 
even the bitter agonies of Christ in the garden, and 
on the cross, produce no tender relentings,' An- 
other unexpected conviction which is commonly 
experienced, is, that the person is growing worse 
instead of better. Some have strenuously main- 
tained that this is the truth of the fact ; concerning 
which we will not now dispute : that which, is 
asserted is, that to the apprehension of the con- 
vinced sinner, it seems to be a truth, that he is 
growing worse and worse ; but this can be account- 
ed for from the increase of light. Just as a man 
placed in a dark and loathsome dungeon, if he 
should have the light let in gradually, would see 
the filth increasing on every side ; so the heart 
when the covering which conceals its turpitude is 
withdrawn, appears to become more and more vile 
and abominable. 

Now, we say to one under these convictions, if 
you feel nothing as you say, why do you yet com- 
plain ? What mean these deep fetched sighs, and 
these abundant tears ? Why are you not contented 
and at ease, as the multitude are, and as you 
once were ? To such questions and expostulations, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 317 

he would reply, * I am distressed because I feel so 
little distress — I am grieved, because I cannot feel 
grief. My most earnest desire is, to fall under 
deep conviction of sin. O, if I could feel my 
heart sensibly pained, and tenderly affected, I 
should be in a comfortable state compared with that 
which I experience.' Now this is real conviction; 
and it is one of those paths into which the blind 
are led, of which they knew nothing prior to expe- 
rience. Before this, indeed, they may have formed 
a conception of the feelings of a convinced sinner. 
They imagined that by some flash, like lightning 
— by some awful stroke, by which their souls 
should be stunned, as by a thunder-bolt, and 
shaken to the very centre, and melted as the ice by 
the rapid heat, conviction of sin would be effected. 
Very commonly the awakened person strives to 
produce conviction of the kind conceived, by bring- 
ing up to view the most frightful images, by read- 
ing the most awful and affecting descriptions of 
death, judgment, and hell ; and frequents that 
preaching which denounces with the most awful 
severity the wrath of the Almighty; still hoping 
and praying to be overwhelmed with such feelings 
as have been described. But if the convinced 
sinner could realize all the feelings of which he 
has conceived, and for which he longs and prays, 
the end of conviction would not be at all answered ; 
for the end of conviction is to lead the sinner out 
of himself; to destroy all self-confidence and self- 
complacency ; to show him how evil and how help- 
less is his condition. But if he could experience 
such feelings as he wishes, he would think well of 



318 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

himself, as being in the frame in which he ought 
to be. The views and feelings produced by the 
conviction of the Spirit, lead the soul to despair 
— to despair of ever saving itself. Thus self-right- 
eousness, which is so deeply inherent in every 
man, is cut up by the root. " I through the law, 
am dead to the law," says Paul, " that I might live 
unto God." Again, " I was alive without the law 
once, but when the commandment came, sin 
revived, and I died." Thus, " the law is a school- 
master to bring us unto Christ." It is an unex- 
pected thing, of which the blind could form no 
practical conception, that the nearer the sinner 
approaches towards deliverance, the further he 
recedes from hope and comfort, in his own appre- 
hension. That is found true, therefore, in spiritual 
things, which has been remarked in natural things ; 
that the darkest hour is that which immediately 
precedes the dawning of the day. When the con- 
vinced sinner is brought to the point of fully con- 
demning himself, acknowledging that the sentence 
which dooms him to misery is perfectly just, then 
is the time of God's mercy; so that, in the moment 
when it expected nothing but death, salvation is 
found. Thus the richness and freeness of the 
grace of the gospel are magnified, and the saved 
sinner is prepared to give all the glory to God, and 
ever afterwards to confess that he deserved nothing 
but to be cast off for ever. 

2. Conversion, also, turns out, in experience, to 
be a very different thing from what was anticipated. 
Awakened sinners, having heard of persons being 
translated from darkness "to the marvellous light 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 319 

of the gospel;" and having, perhaps, heard or read 
of some remarkable conversions, expect to be 
brought through the new birth in a way perfectly 
similar to these extraordinary cases, which, how- 
ever, are very imperfectly understood. They, 
therefore, endeavour to place themselves in the 
same circumstances as those in which others were 
when they found peace with God ; and they con- 
tinue to look and wait for some sudden and almost 
miraculous change ; and they often endeavour, be- 
forehand, to imagine what their views and exercises 
will be when their conversion shall take place. 
These expectations are never realized, and are 
always erroneous ; for when this blessed change 
actually occurs, the light is commonly like that of 
the dawn ; obscure at first, but shining more and 
more to the perfect day ; and instead of the views 
being miraculous or strange, they appear to arise in 
the mind like other thoughts and feelings. The 
only marked difference is, not in the manner of the 
views, but in the spiritual beauty and glory of the 
objects contemplated. Instead of a sudden and 
violent agitation, there is a sweet exercise of the 
mind in directing its thoughts to Christ, and to the 
glorious perfections of God, as exhibited in his 
works and in his word. The soul reposes with 
delightful complacency on the truths to which its 
attention happens to turn ; and besides the light 
afforded by the Spirit shining on the word, there is 
often a suggestion of precious Scripture promises, 
or other evangelical truths, suited to the condition 
and wants of the new born soul. These sometimes 
come dropping into the mind, successively, as 



320 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

precious morsels on which it feeds. As the recent- 
ly born infant instinctively thirsts for the nutriment 
which the mother's milk supplies ; so new born 
souls as naturally thirst for " the sincere, (or pure) 
milk of the word, that they may grow thereby." 

One circumstance, which will appear strange to 
those who have not learned it by experience, is, 
that in the first exercises of the new convert, there 
is frequently no thought or question, whether these 
are the genuine exercises of one born of God. 
There is no room, at present, for such reflex acts ; 
the mind is completely occupied with the objects 
of its contemplation; and often, when these views 
are clear, forgets itself, and is absorbed in behold- 
ing the glory of God in the Mediator, or the 
wonders of redemption as set forth in the gospel, or 
the beauty of holiness, as manifested both in the 
law and the gospel. Thus often Christ is received, 
true faith is exercised, the heart is humbled in 
penitence, and exercises sincere love to God, with- 
out knowing or even asking what the nature of 
these exercises may be ; and these views and exer- 
cises come on so gradually, in many cases, that their 
origin cannot be traced. So far is it, then, from 
being true, that every regenerated man knows the 
precise time of his renovation, that it is a thing 
exceedingly difficult to be ascertained. It is not 
difficult to know, that on such a day our minds 
were thus and thus exercised ; but whether those 
were the exercises of genuine piety, is quite an- 
other question ; or whether, if they were, they were 
the first of this kind, is still a different question. 
Some who speak confidently of the day and the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 321 

hour of their conversion, never were truly converted, 
but were imposed on by a mere counterfeit. Others 
who have the same confidence of knowing the 
precise time of their conversion, though true 
Christians, are mistaken as to this matter. They 
were enabled obscurely to view the truth, and 
feebly to believe, long before the period at which 
they date their conversion. Some attain a full 
assurance of hope, who do not pretend to know 
when their spiritual life commenced. All they 
can say is, with the blind man in the gospel, "One 
thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I 
see." As in the dawning of the natural day, we 
often can know assuredly that the day has com- 
menced, because the objects around us are dis- 
tinctly visible, when we could not tell the precise 
moment when the day dawned. Sincere souls, 
which have the scriptural evidences of piety, need 
not be distressed because of their ignorance of the 
day and hour of their vivification. But let not 
those who have never experienced any change, 
take comfort from this, as though it were possible 
that they also may have experienced regeneration, 
while they knew nothing about it. In regard to 
such we may truly say, you cannot be converted 
without knowing something about it; you cannot 
be the subjects of a series of new views and feel- 
ings, without being conscious of these spiritual 
exercises. 

The soul, under the leadings of the Spirit, is 
often brought near to Christ, when it apprehended 
he was far off. Their first intercourse with the 
Redeemer, is like that of the two disciples on the 

41 



322 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

way to Emmaus. Their eyes are, as it were, 
holden, that they do not know, in very deed, that 
the person with whom they are conversing is 
Christ; but afterwards, like those disciples, they 
can say, "Did not our hearts burn within us, while 
he opened to us the Scriptures, and while he com- 
muned with us by the way?" In such a confer- 
ence, under such a sermon, while meditating on 
such a passage of Scripture, did we not feel our 
minds to be elevated, warmed, enlightened ? What 
could this be but the risen Saviour whispering his 
love into our hearts ? When he thus comes near 
and we are not aware of his being present, he will 
not keep the veil long before our eyes, which con- 
ceals his true features. He will come nearer still ; 
and in " the breaking of bread," or in some other 
divine ordinance, he will stand revealed before our 
eyes, and we shall recognize him as our friend 
and our beloved ; and if it should be but a glimpse 
which he affords us, before he vanishes from our 
wistful sight, yet even this transient view will be 
sufficient to convince us, that "He is altogether 
lovely, the chief among ten thousand." 

3. God leads his once blind but chosen people in 
the way which they know not, as it relates to the 
means and progress of their sanctification. All the 
children of God are inspired with an ardent love 
of holiness ; and they are much delighted with the 
thought of having the power of sin destroyed ; and 
it is often the burden of their prayer, that the very 
principles of iniquity within them may be eradi- 
cated ; but little do they know or consider how this 
is to be effected. They have no idea how slow and 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 323 

painful will be the process of mortifying the old 
man with his deeds which are corrupt. Upon their 
first conversion, they were often filled with comfort, 
rejoiced in hope, and found sweet satisfaction in 
attendance on divine ordinances : and they enter- 
tained the fond hope that it would always be thus, 
or better. They were like little children, dandled 
on the parent's knee, and not exposed to hardship 
or required to labour ; but soon the scene changes. 
Darkness hangs over them; difficulties perplex; 
conflicts discourage them. Inbred corruption be- 
gins to stir sensibly, and evils appear which were 
not believed to exist. The power of temptation is 
felt ; and the Christian finds it to be literally true, 
that he is engaged in a warfare. Pride rises and 
attempts to regain its former mastery; passion 
swells and becomes impetuous ; the baits which the 
world presents to avarice, ambition, and the love 
of ease and pleasure, are found to be far more 
fascinating than was expected. The pleasures of 
religion too have subsided, and the lively relish for 
the service of God is abated. Prayer, meditation, 
and self-examination, once so delightful, now too 
often are a burden, and are, therefore, frequently 
neglected, or hastily and carelessly performed. A 
distressing reluctance to spiritual duties is expe- 
rienced ; and all the pleasures of religion have 
vanished. Now the Christian may be compared 
to a weaned child, from which the mother turns 
herself away, and refuses it its wonted refreshment; 
or perhaps is better represented by the child sent 
off from his father's roof, to shift for himself, in a 
wide and unfriendly world. To increase his afflic- 



324 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

tion, external troubles often combine with, those 
which are inward and spiritual. Malignant ene- 
mies rise up to annoy and persecute ; friends die, 
or become unkind; ministers, on whom perhaps 
too much dependence was placed, are removed; 
zealous professors turn back to the world ; religion 
is wounded in the house of her friends ; truth lies 
bleeding in the streets ; family comforts decay ; and 
poverty and debt succeed to affluence and comfort ; 
and to crown all, Satan comes forth with a frightful 
roar, and endeavours to worry whom he knows he 
cannot devour. Now, indeed, the feeble, timid 
soul is pressed beyond expression. It groans 
"being burdened;" almost wishes for death; not 
because conscious of preparation for a better world, 
but as a release from trouble. Sometimes, under 
these afflictions, especially when bodily health is 
impaired, or a good name blasted by the tongue 
of calumny, the soul grows pettish and impatient ; 
and the feelings, if expressed in words, would be 
something like this, " Why am I thus ? Why am 
I left to buffet the storm without help or refuge ? 
Why am I abandoned of God, and made a reproach 
to my enemies, who daily say, scoffingly, ' Where 
is now your God, in whom you trusted ? There is 
no help for him in God.' " Or more commonly, 
the afflicted and heavy-laden soul, sinks into de- 
spondency, and concludes that it never has been in 
the right way ; that surely, if it was one of God's 
dear children, it would never be thus forsaken and 
left to sink in the horrible pit and miry clay. 
" Surely," it exclaims, " this cannot be the way in 
which Jehovah leads his own dear children, whom 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 325 

he hath redeemed." Were it not that now and 
then there is " a little reviving" in the midst of 
these years of affliction ; unless, after long intervals 
of thick darkness, some rays of cheerful light gilded 
the dark scene, and some drops of refreshment fell 
into the cup of sorrow, the soul would be over- 
whelmed with a burden which human strength is 
unable to bear. 

But how is this the way of sanctification ? It 
looks more like the path of declension and apostasy. 
But remember, that before we can ascend we must 
descend ; before we can be filled with the divine 
fulness, we must be emptied of self and sin. To 
bring us to feel our weakness and entire depend- 
ence, we must be left to try our own strength ; and 
to convince us of the evil of sin, we must, for a 
season, be left to struggle against its power, and to 
learn to know the " depths of Satan." To cure us 
of the undue love of the world, the world must be 
" crucified to us, and we to it;" and to preserve us 
from idolizing the creature, the objects of our too 
fond affections must be snatched away from our 
embrace. But, doubtless, this is a way which the 
people of God did not know, until they were led 
into it. Even when forewarned by experienced 
Christians, of the difficulties and dangers of the 
way, they heeded them not ; as either not under- 
standing what they meant, or as not giving full 
credit to their testimony. 

4. Another thing in the dispensations of God to 
his people which, prior to experience, they never 
distinctly understood, and which cannot easily be 
explained, is his leaving them for a season to back- 



326 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

slide ; and then recovering them by the exercise of 
the same sovereign grace which first brought them 
into the path of life. 

The young convert cannot believe that he shall 
ever grow cold and decline in piety, much less that 
he may be left to commit some grievous sin, to the 
sore wounding of his conscience, and perhaps the 
dishonour of his profession. But, notwithstanding 
his strong confidence, which leads him to boast, 
"my mountain standeth strong, I shall never be 
moved," it will not be a new thing on the earth, 
or in the church, if he should add one more beacon 
to the many with which this coast is already 
strewed, to be a warning to those who come after 
him. Backsliding begins in the heart, shows itself 
in the closet first, and soon diffuses its paralyzing 
influence through the life. The backslider for a 
while may preserve a fair exterior ; his public devo- 
tions may appear to be punctual and fervent, while 
in secret he is cold and careless. The Christian 
while in this declining state, differs so little from 
the hypocrite, that it is not easy to discriminate 
between them. Indeed, to the man himself, this is 
commonly impossible, and happily so; for when 
love grows cold, fear must be brought to operate on 
the natural feelings. If backsliders possess assur- 
ance, it is the assurance of delusion. While thus 
departing from God, they cannot possess satisfac- 
tory evidence of his favour, for the exercise of 
grace is its evidence. The symptoms of backslid- 
ing are evident enough. The want of lively faith, 
and love, and penitence, is the root of the evil. 
The reality, beauty, and importance of eternal 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 327 

things, are out of view ; the world, therefore, rises 
in magnitude, and seems clothed with new interest, 
and its objects appear more desirable. Seriousness 
of spirit is now succeeded by levity, and that 
tenderness of conscience which shuddered at the 
mere " appearance of evil," by stupidity. The 
spirit of the world gains too great ascendency; and 
conformity to the corrupt maxims and customs of 
the world becomes manifest. Even lawful objects 
are sought with too much ardour, and the too 
anxious desire to be rich has often entangled the 
souls of professors in many hurtful snares, from 
which some are never extricated, but their souls 
are finally pierced through with many sorrows, 
and drowned in perdition. 

When backsliding once begins, there is no 
knowing how far the declining Christian may depart 
from God. It cannot be a matter of much surprise, 
therefore, that in an evil hour, and under the power 
of temptation, some insidious lust should prevail 
against him, and should carry him into captivity. 
Indeed, such is the frailty of the best men, that 
there is no security for their not falling into gross 
sins, but in the conservative grace of God ; and 
when Christians begin to backslide they never 
recover themselves, and return by their own efforts; 
but by the kind interposition of their faithful 
Shepherd, whose love to his sheep leads him to 
leave the ninety and nine, and to go into the wilder- 
ness to reclaim one straying lamb. He makes his 
voice to be heard and recognized. If the common 
warnings of the word, and gentle suggestions of the 
Spirit have been neglected, or resisted, it is usual 



328 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

with him to apply the rod. Providence is made to 
co-operate powerfully with grace ; or rather is made 
a part of that system of gracious means, which God 
makes use of to preserve and reclaim his erring 
people ; and in the corrective dispensations of Pro- 
vidence, there can often be remarked a connexion 
between our sin and God's chastisement. Often 
the objects which have been the occasion of our 
sin, are some how made the instruments of our 
punishment ; or in some way and by some associa- 
tion observed by us, God points as with a finger, 
by his dispensations of affliction, to sins long since 
committed and perhaps almost forgotten. The 
riches which were too eagerly sought, " make to 
themselves wings and fly away," as the eagle to 
heaven; or those for whom these riches were so 
painfully accumulated, are taken away. If we 
make an idol of any creature, God will often judge 
it best to remove the stumbling-block, and make 
room for himself in our affections. Our heavenly 
Father knows how to direct the rod so as to produce 
the desired effect. He knows our frame, and can 
pierce the point of sensibility, and thus rouse us 
from our apathy, or from our dreams of worldly 
pleasure and ambition. The backslider is now 
arrested in his downward coarse, is brought to 
pause and consider his ways. He now sees how 
far he has departed from the right path. He is 
convinced of his folly and sin, in forsaking " the 
fountain of living waters, and hewing out broken 
cisterns which can hold no water." The convic- 
tions of sin in the case of the backslider, are often 
attended with keener compunction and anguish, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 329 

than were experienced under his first awakening. 
Sometimes he almost despairs of mercy ; or if he 
dares to cherish a trembling hope of acceptance, 
yet he expects no more kind and gracious dealings 
from his heavenly Father. He calculates, like the 
returning prodigal, to be placed on the footing of 
" a hired servant," rather than that of a son. But 
here again he is led by a path which he knew not; 
for God not only " heals his backsliding," but 
graciously forgives all his aggravated sins ; receives 
him as a child, without upbraiding; draws him 
with loving cords, even the bands of a man, and 
says, " I will heal their backsliding, I will love 
them freely, for mine anger is turned away from 
him." 

This abounding of free grace and pardoning 
mercy to backsliding believers, is one of the most 
wonderful things in the way in which God leads 
his blind people. When they were looking for 
nothing but wrath, behold he shows his reconciled 
face, and manifests his pardoning mercy with all 
the tenderness of a kind father. It is by such dis- 
pensations of love and mercy, that God proves to 
us how superior he is to all our highest conceptions. 
That he is God, and not man, is the reason why 
his people are not consumed. " For my thoughts 
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my 
ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are 
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than 
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." 

It should not be inferred from what has been 
said, that God leads all his people in precisely the 
same paths ; for while there is generally a similari- 

42 



330 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

ty, there is a particular diversity. The case of 
every Christian has probably something peculiar 
in it ; both as it relates to the work of grace within 
him, and to the dispensations of Providence with- 
out him. There are some individuals who are led 
in a way remarkably different from the common 
paths of the flock. They are conducted through 
the world in a gentle, peaceful course ; exposed but 
little to the fierce blasts of adversity, with which 
others are assailed and almost overwhelmed; and 
seem to be preserved from those terrific conflicts, 
and satanic temptations, which others are called to 
endure ; while to others the path is hedged up and 
full of difficulties throughout. But often, while the 
first stages of the pilgrimage are smooth, the latter 
may be rough and painful, or the reverse. During 
a long season of prosperity and peace, the cup of afflic- 
tions is filling up ready to be poured forth at a 
future day. Indeed, according to the order of 
natural events, it must be so ; for if all the members 
of a large family are, for many years, spared, there 
are only so many more marks for the arrows of 
future adversity ; for all these are subject to various 
misfortunes, and all these must die, sooner or later, 
as well as others. Those, therefore, who seem for 
a while to be exempt from adversity, will in due 
season have their full share ; unless in mercy they 
are " taken away from the evil to come." 

5. Finally, the people of God are often conducted 
through the " valley and shadow of death" in an 
unexpected manner. We learn, that anciently 
there were some " who were all their lives subject 
to bondage, through fear of death;" whom Christ 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 331 

came to deliver. Well ; that bondage of fear is still 
experienced by many sincere, but timid Christians ; 
and many anxious thoughts are felt in relation to 
this awful but inevitable event. Yet when the 
trying moment arrives — when death appears near, 
and the evident symptoms of approaching dissolu- 
tion are experienced, they find themselves supported 
and comforted, far beyond their highest expectation : 
and, as this last enemy comes nearer, he appears 
less formidable : his sting is extracted ; and some- 
times he seems to assume the face of an angel of 
light; so that the dying Christian can often say, 
" O death, where is thy sting ?" " For me to die is 
gain." This peaceful end is not reserved for those 
alone, who appeared, in life, to possess a strong 
faith, but doubting, desponding believers are often 
thus raised above their gloomy fears, and are 
enabled to triumph in a dying hour. The faithful 
Shepherd of Israel is always present to guide the 
sheep of his purchase through this gloomy valley. 
Although they are blind and know not the way, 
yet with his rod and his staff will he both guide 
and protect them. Happy they who have God for 
their guide. 



INFERENCES. 

1. We may learn from what has been said, the 
end to be accomplished by the various dispensa- 
tions of God to his people is, to humble their pride, 
to divest them of self-righteousness and self-confi- 
dence — to lead them to appreciate the grace and 
faithfulness of the Saviour ; and to give exercise to 



332 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the several virtues of the Christian life, and thus to 
prepare the soul for its heavenly state. 

2. Believers, by being led in this way, are 
instructed in the knowledge of the deep depravity 
of their nature ; the deceitfulness of the heart ; the 
turpitude of sin, in its various forms and aspects; 
of the malice and subtlety of the grand adversary ; 
and consequently of the riches of divine grace ; the 
wonderful wisdom of the plan of redemption ; the 
tender sympathy, as well as the faithful care, of the 
Mediator ; and of the desirableness of a better rest 
than this world can afford. Our estimation of 
heavenly joys will have some relation to our conflicts 
and afflictions upon earth. No doubt the gratitude 
of the redeemed, on Mount Zion, is increased 
exceedingly, by the consideration that they " have 
come out of great tribulation." 

3. Let us learn then to trust implicitly in the 
providence and in the promises of a covenant-keep- 
ing God. His providence extends to the hairs of 
our head, and his promises are all yea and amen 
in Christ Jesus, and are "exceeding great and 
precious." We should learn to live upon the pro- 
mises, by the exercise of a lively faith and hope, 
trusting all our interests into the hands of a faithful 
Redeemer — confidently believing, that whatever he 
hath promised he will certainly perform. Hath he 
begun a good work, and will he not accomplish 
it? None who trust in him shall ever be disap- 
pointed ; and the more confidently we rely upon his 
word of promise, the more is he honoured, and the 
more acceptable are we in his sight. 



SERMON XXIII. 



NOT SLOTHFUL, BUT FOLLOWERS OF THE SAINTS BY FAITH. 



That ye be not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith 
and patience, inherit the promises. — Heb. vi. 12. 



The Hebrew Christians, to whom this epistle was 
addressed, appear to have made slow progress in 
religion, and to have been greatly in danger of 
apostasy. The apostle, therefore, addresses to 
them many exhortations and warnings, adapted to 
their character ; and endeavours to arouse them to 
greater watchfulness, diligence, and exertion, in 
their spiritual pilgrimage. He tells them, that 
"when for the time they ought to be teachers, they 
needed that one teach them again, which be the 
first principles of the oracles of God, and are 
become such as have need of milk and not of 
strong meat; for every one that useth milk is 
unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a 
babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are 
of full age, even those who by reason of use, have 
their senses exercised to discern both good and 
evil." And in the beginning of the sixth chapter, 

333 



334 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

whence our text is taken, he exhorts them to 
advance beyond the first principles of Christianity, 
and to go on to a more perfect knowledge of the 
truth. And to stimulate their sluggish souls, he 
sets before them the awful consequences of apostasy, 
as well as the unpardonable guilt which, by this 
conduct, they would bring upon themselves. If 
after the reception of so many spiritual gifts, and 
after making such a profession as they had done, 
they should apostatize, he seems to represent their 
case as hopeless. It is not necessary hence to 
conclude, that true believers ever do, in fact, totally 
and finally fall away; but they are in constant 
danger of such a fall, and are only kept from it by 
the word and Spirit of Christ. These warnings, 
therefore, are not needless to the real children of 
God : they may be the very means which a faithful 
Redeemer makes use of to preserve them from 
apostasy. 

We learn from this passage, how far false profes- 
sors may go in religion. They may not only give 
their assent to the gospel, but may hear it with 
joy, as we learn from the case of the seed on stony 
ground, in the parable of the sower. And they 
may possess miraculous gifts, as Judas, or even 
the spirit of prophecy, as Balaam, and yet be desti- 
tute of charity, and " love the wages of unright- 
eousness." 

The apostle could not know the hearts of the 
people to whom he wrote, and, therefore, he 
addresses them as professors, who, notwithstand- 
ing their many gifts and high profession, might 
possibly be deceived ; but he did not wish to be 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 335 

censorious, and says, that although he thus spake, 
he hoped better things of them and things that 
accompany salvation. And he gives them credit 
for the good works which they had performed, 
which he assures them God would not forget. 
" For God," says he, "is not unrighteous to forget 
your work and labour of love, which ye have 
showed to his name, in that ye have ministered to 
the saints and do minister." But he would not 
have them rest satisfied with attainments already 
made, but to press forward to the highest exercises 
of piety. " And we desire," says he, " that every 
one of you do show the same diligence to the full 
assurance of hope unto the end." And as sloth is 
one of the most common hinderances to growth in 
grace, he proceeds to warn the Hebrew Christians, 
particularly, against this insidious vice, and ex- 
horts them to imitate the conduct of those ancient 
worthies who had successfully run this race, and 
had won the prize. " Not slothful, but followers 
of those who through faith and patience inherit the 
promises." 

Brethren, we have the same race to run, and are 
beset with the same temptations and dangers from 
without, and are impeded by the same tendency 
to forgetfulness and indolence as those to whom 
those exhortations were originally addressed. They 
are, therefore, as well suited to us as to them ; and 
they were written for our learning and admonition. 
Let us, then, endeavour to profit by them, by not 
only hearing them, but by making a practical appli- 
cation of them to our own souls. 

That the truths contained in the text may be 



336 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

brought distinctly before you, I will endeavour 
to set before you, 1. The vice against which you 
are warned. 2. What things in the ancient saints 
we should imitate. 3. The blessing which we shall 
by so doing inherit. 

1. The evil which we are exhorted to shun is 
sloth. The bad consequences of this vice, as it 
relates to worldly concerns, are well understood; 
and youth are often admonished by parents and 
teachers, not to indulge a propensity which is 
inherent in every son and daughter of Adam, 
But " the children of this world are wiser in their 
generation, than the children of light." Christians 
are not commonly so apprehensive of the evils of 
sloth, in retarding their spiritual progress, as the 
men of the world are, in relation to earthly pursuits. 
Great loss is sustained by most who are running 
the Christian's race, through an undue indulgence 
of indolence. There is in human nature a natural 
aversion to exertion. It requires the action of 
strong motives to arouse the mind from its natural 
apathy ; this is especially true, when mental exer- 
tion is requisite. But besides this natural love of 
ease, there is a sinful aversion to the exercise of 
holy activity. " The carnal mind is enmity against 
God ; it is not subject to his law, neither indeed can 
be." Just so far as this depravity of nature prevails, 
just so far will there be a reluctance to turn the 
thoughts to spiritual objects. And as conscience 
condemns according to the light of truth which is 
in the mind, impenitent men instinctively turn 
away from the contemplation of their own sins, on 
account of the pain and remorse which such views 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 337 

occasion. And, as the pious are renewed but in 
part, the remains of corruption in their hearts, para- 
lyse their souls, and render them dull and inactive 
in spiritual concerns. When we feel a secret aver- 
sion to any set of objects, we are reluctant to think 
of them ; the soul naturally turns away to such 
things as are congenial with its present temper. 
When pious affections are lively, then there is no 
disposition to indulge in indolence. Love creates 
alacrity, and sweetens the most toilsome labours. 
But when love grows cold, in the same proportion 
the soul moves heavily in the ways of God. 
Drowsiness benumbs its sensibilities. " I have put 
ofT my clothes," said the spouse, " and how shall 
I put them on ?" Prayer, which is so delightful to 
the lively Christian, becomes a task, and meditation 
a burden. Closet duties are neglected, or hurried 
over without any engagedness of spirit. Sloth cuts 
the nerves of effort. Under its withering influence 
the most precious means and opportunities of spirit- 
ual progress are suffered to pass without improve- 
ment. The soul indulges in sleep, when it should 
be wide awake — sleeps too, on enchanted ground, 
where many have slept the sleep of death. O 
Christian, awake to consider your real situation. 
You are surrounded by enemies, which are ever 
watchful, ever on the alert. Awake to consider 
the work which you have to do. The time is far 
spent. The day in which work can be done for 
God, and for the soul, will soon be over. " Watch 
and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." It does 
not become us " to sleep as do others, but to watch 
and be sober." Eternity, with all its awful reali- 

43 



338 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

lies is coming on, and will soon be here. Gird up 
the loins of your mind. "Work while it is called 
'to-day,' before the night cometh, when no man can 
work." 

II. But the duty of the Christian is not merely 
negative : he has positive duties to perform, as well 
as to shun the evils to which human nature is 
prone. And the duty enjoined in the text is the 
imitation of the men distinguished for piety, whose 
history has been left on record, for this very pur- 
pose. " Be ye followers of them who through faith 
and patience inherit the promises." The apostle 
evidently refers to those ancient saints, to whom 
God had made exceeding great and precious pro- 
mises. And, especially, he seems to have Abraham 
in his eye ; for he goes on, immediately, to speak 
of the oath and promise of God made to this patri- 
arch, as furnishing a solid ground of consolation to 
all true believers. The exhortation is, first, to be 
imitators of the faith of the ancient saints, and no 
one among them is so conspicuous for constant and 
extraordinary faith as Abraham. He is, therefore, 
in many places of the sacred Scriptures, exhibited 
as a model to believers who should come after him. 
On account of the strength of his faith, he obtained 
the honourable title of " the father of the faithful." 
And when the apostles treat of the nature and 
efficacy of faith, Abraham is the example commonly 
selected for illustration. In the eleventh chapter 
of this epistle, Paul speaks of the faith of this 
patriarch, in the following strong language. " By 
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out to a 
place which he should after receive for an inherit- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 339 

ance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing 
whither lie went. By faith he sojourned in the 
land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling 
in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with 
him of the same promise. For he looked for a city 
which hath foundations, whose maker and builder 
is God." The faith of these ancient worthies of 
whom the apostle speaks, was strong in death as 
well as in life ; and had respect not merely to 
temporal blessings, but more especially, to the 
heavenly inheritance. For, " these all died in 
faith, not having received the promises," that is, 
not having seen their fulfilment; "but having seen 
them afar off," about certainly to be accomplished 
at a future day. "They were persuaded of them, 
and embraced them, and confessed that they were 
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they 
that say such things, declare plainly that they seek 
a country. And truly if they had been mindful of 
that country from which they came out, they might 
have had opportunity to have returned.' But now 
they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly ; 
wherefore, God is not ashamed to be called their 
God ; for he hath prepared for them a city." 

In the history of Abraham, there is one transac- 
tion which exhibits the strength of his faith, in the 
clearest manner conceivable. It was his prompt 
obedience to the command of Jehovah, when 
directed to sacrifice his son Isaac. The apostle 
speaks of this extraordinary exercise of unshaken 
confidence in God, in the following terms. " By 
faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up 
Isaac ; and he that had received the promises, 



340 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was 
said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called ; accounting 
that God was able to raise him up, even from the 
dead." This is the kind of faith which we are 
called upon to imitate ; though we may not be able 
to come up to an equality with it. If we examine 
more particularly into the nature of Abraham's 
faith, we shall find in it the following properties. 

1. It was prompt. No sooner did he hear the 
voice of God speaking to him than he obeyed, 
however repugnant the command might be to 
human feelings. When God first revealed to him 
his will, commanding him leave his own country 
and kindred, he hesitated not, but went out, not 
knowing as yet, whither God would have him to 
go. So our faith should be prompt ; at once yielding 
undoubting assent to the truth of what God has in 
his word declared; and without consulting with 
flesh and blood, we should be ready, without 
delay, to obey his commands. 

2. Abraham's faith was implicit. He believed 
the revelations of God, without waiting for an 
explanation of the difficulties or mysteries involved 
in the subject. Some of the declarations of the 
Almighty had the appearance of being, in the 
nature of things, impossible ; as that Sarah when 
past the age of child-bearing should have a son ; 
and some seemed to be not only unnatural, but 
contrary to the truth of God's promises, as the com- 
mand to sacrifice his son Isaac, in whom, it had 
been promised, all nations should be blessed. But 
Abraham did not hesitate. Human reason, as well 
as the fond affections of our nature, often raise up 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 341 

obstacles in the way of faith in God's revelations ; 
hut over all these the faith of Abraham triumphed. 
He seems to have resorted to no sentiments or 
reasonings of his own, when God had spoken. His 
confidence in the divine veracity was such, that 
what God declared, he implicitly received as true, 
and acted accordingly. This is the noblest tri- 
umph of faith. Reason is no competent judge of 
divine mysteries. They are not contrary to, bat 
above reason. But how, it may be asked, could 
Abraham believe in a revelation which seemed to 
contradict promises already made ? Paul explains 
this. He believed that if he slew his son, God 
would raise him up again ; for he was sure that his 
promises could not fail. In this respect, we should 
imitate the faith of Abraham, by implicitly receiv- 
ing whatever we find clearly revealed in his word, 
although many of the truths therein contained be 
in their nature incomprehensible. We should 
leave it to God to clear up, in due season, mysteries 
which now baffle human reason ; and not trust to 
our own feeble intellect. Many things we may 
be unable to reconcile, owing entirely to the imper- 
fection of our knowledge ; but there are mysteries 
which must ever remain such, to all created intelli- 
gences ; for how can finite ever comprehend that 
which is infinite? The pride of human reason, 
which disdains to submit to receive what it cannot 
understand, has been the fruitful source of innumer- 
able heresies. 

3. The third characteristic of Abraham's faith 
was its strength. Faith may be of very different 
degrees of strength. We hear our Saviour saying, 



342 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

" I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." 
Again, " O woman, great is thy faith." On the 
other hand, he often upbraids his disciples for the 
weakness of their faith, " O ye of little faith, where- 
fore did ye doubt?" Now, Abraham received 
this testimony, that " he believed God, and his 
faith was counted for righteousness." Paul says, 
" who, against hope believed in hope, that he 
might be the father of many nations." That is, 
when every human appearance, and even the laws 
of nature stood in the way of the fulfilment of the 
promise ; yet he continued to rely on the faithful- 
ness of him that promised. " For being not weak 
in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, 
when he was about a hundred years old, nor yet 
the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not 
at the promise of God through unbelief, but was 
strong in faith, giving glory to God; being fully 
persuaded, that what he had promised, he was 
able to perform." The strength of his faith was 
also remarkably manifest in the transaction already 
referred to, when he promptly obeyed the command 
to sacrifice his son, his well beloved son, although 
the fulfilment of the promises of God was dependent 
on his life — " accounting that God was able to 
raise him from the dead." There is no human act 
more pleasing to God than a strong confidence in 
his word. Many things which he reveals may be 
mysterious, and far above our comprehension ; but 
we need no other evidence of their truth than the 
word of God. So, also, we may be required to 
perform duties which involve much self-denial ; 
but we should not confer with flesh and blood, but 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 343 

should imitate Abraham, who, without delay or 
hesitation, obeyed the commandment of the Lord. 
When he was directed to leave his native country, 
he immediately went out, not knowing whither he 
went. And when God commanded him to offer up 
his well beloved son, Isaac, he demurred not, but 
saddled his ass, and took his son and went to the 
place appointed. The path of duty is always the 
way of safety; and it is the road to happiness. We 
may hesitate about what is duty, in certain dubious 
circumstances, but when that point is ascertained, 
there should be no hesitation about performing what 
conscience dictates to be right. 

4. Another characteristic of Abraham's faith 
was, that it directed his attention and affections to 
heaven, as his resting place. The promise of 
Canaan was of no value to him, individually; for, 
he owned not a foot of land in the country, while 
he lived, except a burying ground, which he had 
purchased, on the death of Sarah. His immediate 
descendants, Isaac and Jacob, were like himself, 
strangers and sojourners in the land of promise : 
and their descendants, for centuries, were in a 
foreign country, where they suffered great afflic- 
tion and oppression. All this was made known to 
Abraham, and yet he lived by faith. He had 
something in view far better than this earthly pos- 
session. " He looked for a city which hath founda- 
tions, whose builder and maker is God." Faith 
was to him the evidence of things not seen, the 
substance of things hoped for. This, my brethren r 
is the faith of those who inherited the promises, 
which the apostle exhorts us to follow. 



344 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

But those ancient worthies whom we should 
imitate, are characterised by patience, as well as 
faith. These two virtues are very fitly joined 
together, because the good things promised were 
not immediately received, but were " viewed afar 
off." " These all died in faith, not having received 
the promises, but having seen them afar off." 
Therefore, while they were sojourners and strangers, 
and exposed to many evils, they had great need of 
patience, both to wait for the fulfilment of the 
promises, and to endure the trials, through which 
they had to pass. All the pious patriarchs possessed 
both faith and patience ; though not all in the same 
degree. We have selected Abraham, in particular, 
as a model of faith, which we ought to imitate, 
and in making this selection we are warranted by 
the authority of Scripture, where he is called, " the 
father of the faithful," but whom shall we fix upon 
to be an example to us in patience ? Our thoughts 
would at first naturally turn to Job, whom, from 
our infancy, we have been taught to consider the 
most patient of men. The apostle James says, 
" Be ye also patient; establish your hearts, for the 
coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Take, my 
brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the 
name of the Lord, for an example of suffering 
affliction, and of patience. Behold we count them 
happy which endure. Ye have heard of the 
patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord ; 
that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy." 
Among the prophets we might fix upon Jeremiah, 
as a man of almost unexampled afflictions, from his 
youth to his death. But though both these ancient 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 345 

saints, Job and Jeremiah were among the greatest 
sufferers, of whom we have any record ; yet they 
were both, at times, pettish and querulous. The 
spirits of both of them were so exasperated, on cer- 
tain occasions, that they cursed the day on which 
they were born. This certainly is no example for 
us to follow. They both uttered many things 
not indicative of a patient, submissive temper. I 
have, therefore, selected Moses, as the person whose 
constancy and perfect submission to the will of 
God, under circumstances of the severest trial, may 
be held up as a pattern for our imitation, above 
any other. Though the Scriptures speak of the 
patience of Job, they no where assert, that he was 
the most patient of men : and a comparison between 
him and Moses, will lead to the conclusion, that 
the latter, in regard to this virtue, is a more per- 
fect model for our imitation than the former. 

Moses is declared to have been the meekest man 
upon earth ; and there is a near affinity between 
meekness and patience Never did mere man 
endure a more constant pressure on his mind than 
this servant of God, while he had committed to 
him the charge and guidance of the people of 
Israel, in their long journey of forty years, in the 
wilderness. This people were stiff-necked and 
rebellious, and left nothing undone which could 
have a tendency to intimidate, provoke, and render 
impatient their divinely appointed leader. But, 
under all these repeated trials and provocations, he 
remained firm ; and never suffered his spirit to be 
exasperated, except on two occasions. The one was, 
when he came down from the mount with the two 

44 



346 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

tables of the law, written by the finger of God him- 
self, and beheld the people dancing and shout- 
ing around the golden calf, which they had 
caused Aaron to make, he threw down the tables 
with violence to the ground, and broke them to 
pieces. This, however, is no where, in Scripture, 
represented as a sin; but seems to have been a 
holy indignation, on account of the sad defection of 
the people, at the very foot of the mountain, on 
which God had recently manifested his awful glory, 
and terrible majesty. 

The other instance, in which Moses departed 
from his characteristic calmness and patience, was 
at the waters of Meribah. Here he behaved in an 
improper manner, and " spake unadvisedly with 
his lips ;" on which account, he was debarred from 
entering the land of Canaan. In all other cases, 
he seems to have possessed his soul in patience. " He 
endured," says the Scripture, "as seeing him that 
is invisible." " He, as a servant, was faithful in all 
his house." Let us, then, set before us as an exam- 
ple of firmness, meekness, and patience, this emi- 
nent servant of the most High, with whom God 
conversed face to face, as he never did with any other 
person. His life was made up of vicissitudes. 
Born under a cruel edict which condemned him to 
death as soon as born, but concealed by his parents 
for a while, he was at length exposed in a little ark 
on the edge of the Nile. Being found by the 
daughter of the king, and adopted as her own son, 
he was nursed by his own mother, and when 
weaned given up to his foster-mother, to be educat- 
ed in all the learning of the Egyptians. When 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 347 

grown to man's age, he began to visit his brethren 
in bondage, for he had received an intimation that 
he was appointed to be their deliverer, and supposed 
that they would have received him as such; but 
their minds were blinded. The appointed period 
of their deliverance had not yet come. The four 
hundred years predicted to Abraham had not 
expired, and he had to undergo a long preparatory 
discipline in a foreign land. Having slain an 
Egyptian, in defending an Israelite, he was under 
the necessity of leaving Egypt; and he went into 
the land of Midian, where he connected himself in 
marriage with a daughter of Jethro, a wise and 
good man, and a priest of God. Here he remained, 
pursuing the occupation of a shepherd, for forty 
years; at the end of which period, he received a 
commission from God, to go to the king of Egypt, 
and demand the release of the children of Israel, 
and was endowed with the power of working mira- 
cles of the most astonishing kind. As the heart of 
Pharaoh was hardened, he refused to let the people 
go, until ten heavy judgments w r ere inflicted on the 
nation ; the last of which was one that came home 
to the bosom of the monarch as keenly as to the 
meanest of his subjects : all the first-born in every 
house of the Egyptians w r ere slain by the angel of 
death. This afflictive dispensation induced him 
and his people, not only to permit the Israelites to 
depart, but to drive them out, giving them what- 
ever they demanded, for the people were filled with 
terror, and apprehended that they were all in 
danger of perishing. But no sooner had Pharaoh 
and his people time to recover from the shock of 



348 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

this calamity, than they repented of having let the 
Israelites go ; and they hastily pursued after them, 
and overtook them at the Red Sea, at a place, 
where, to all human appearance, escape was impos- 
sible. Before them was the sea; behind them the 
Egyptian army ready to fall upon them ; and on the 
right and left they were completely hemmed in. 
Great, indeed, was the terror and agitation of 
the immense multitude, and they charged Moses 
with the ruin which threatened them. But in 
these perilous circumstances, how did Moses 
behave? He was calm and unmoved, trusting 
in Jehovah. He reposed with unshaken confi- 
dence on the power and faithfulness of God. 
" Stand still," said he to the people, " and see the 
salvation of God." And upon his stretching forth 
his miracle-working rod, the sea divided, and left a 
dry path before them, so that they all went safely 
over; which the Egyptians essaying to do, were all 
overwhelmed by the returning waters. We might 
follow Moses, through his whole journey, and 
should always find him calm, composed, and exer- 
cising the most extraordinary forbearance and 
patience, toward this murmuring and rebellious 
nation. And yet, when the Almighty proposed to 
destroy them, and make a greater nation of him, 
such was his disinterestedness, that he fell on his 
face, and most earnestly deprecated this judgment, 
which, would have raised him to such an eminence, 
and made his family illustrious above all the fami- 
lies of the earth. Yea, he prayed, that rather than 
this should be done, his name might be blotted out 
of the book of the living. Behold in Moses a model 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 349 

for your imitation ! As no man ever lived who 
was favoured with such near and intimate inter- 
course with his Maker ; so it is probable, that no 
man ever equalled him in fidelity to his Lord, in 
every trust committed to him. " Moses was faith- 
ful in all his house." 

The word rendered patience in our text, is more 
commonly translated long-suffering ; and is some- 
times distinguished from patience. But as these 
two graces are so nearly the same, it is not neces- 
sary to be very critical in distinguishing between 
them. It may be remarked, however, that no word 
can better express the prominent trait in the char- 
acter of Moses, than long-suffering. And it is 
worthy of remark, that this temper is the genuine 
fruit of faith. If Moses had not had a faith of 
uncommon strength in the word and promise of 
God, he never could have possessed his soul in 
patience, as he did. Be ye then followers of such 
men as Abraham and Moses, and the other saints 
of God, whose exemplary lives are recorded for 
this very purpose, that we might have suitable 
models for our imitation. These biographical 
sketches " were written for our learning, that we 
through patience and comfort of the Scriptures 
might have hope." 

III. In the last place, I am to speak of the in- 
heritance of the saints, which is here mentioned. 
The saints referred to in the text, are said "to 
inherit the promises." From the time of the fall, 
God has been graciously pleased to bind himself 
by promise and by covenant, to his chosen people. 
He made promises to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, 



350 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Isaac, and Jacob, and other distinguished saints. 
And what he promised to them, equally belongs to 
all who possess the same character. To inherit the 
promises , is, to have a title to the blessings pro- 
mised ; and these blessings come to us freely as an 
inheritance, from a father to his children. These 
blessings, it is true, were dearly purchased, by our 
elder brother, through whom we have our title ; 
but to us, they are free gifts. We possess them 
without paying any thing — and such an inheritance 
suits us, for we had nothing wherewith to buy an\ 
of these rich blessings. 

" O to grace how great a debtor l" 

Most of the early promises to the fathers had 
relation to the Messiah, that precious "seed of the 
woman" — that seed in whom all nations should be 
blessed — that " desire of all nations :" because 
through him all blessings come to redeemed saints. 
Indeed, they are all in a sense made to him ; or 
they are made to them in him. The promised 
Messiah was to believers under the Old Testament 
the object of faith, and faith then justified, or gave 
a title to the promises, just as it does now. They, 
therefore, became heirs of the promises by faith. 
The apostle Paul demonstrates, that the rich pro- 
mises made to Abraham are not abrogated, but 
remain in full force. For the covenant made with 
Abraham was "confirmed of God in Christ;" and, 
therefore, he concludes, "if ye be Christ's, ye are 
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the pro- 
mise." And Peter says to the converted Jews, on 
the day of Pentecost, "the promise is unto you and 
your children." This apostle, in his second epistle, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 351 

declares, that " the promises of God are exceeding 
great and precious." And the apostle John 
informs us, in a sentence, what is the sum and 
substance of all the promises, " and this is the 
promise, that he hath promised us, even eternal 
life." And this inheritance is not only rich, but 
sure. The promise of God, according to Paul, is 
of the nature of an "immutable counsel." " Where- 
in God willing more abundantly to show unto the 
heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, 
confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable 
things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, 
we might have a strong consolation, who have fled 
for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us." 
And in another place he assures us, that the 
" promises of God are not yea, and nay," that is, 
not vacillating and uncertain, "but are all yea and 
amen in Christ Jesus, to the glory of God." 

To inherit the promises is to inherit all things. 
They comprehend all the good which a man is capa- 
ble of enjoying, and much more than he is capable 
of imagining. God w T ill do for his people abund- 
antly above what they can think or ask. The 
promised inheritance is declared to be " incorrupti- 
ble, undefiled, and which fadeth not away," reserved 
in the heavens for them. "For all things are yours, 
whether Paul, or A polios, or Cephas, or the world, 
or life, or death, or things present, or things to 
come, all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ 
is God's." 

1. Since, then, so rich a prize is held up before 
us, and is promised to him that overcometh, let us 
lay aside sloth. Let us gird up our loins and 



352 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

strive, and wait, and hope to the end. Let us not 
be weary in well-doing, but let us press toward the 
mark. 

2. Let us meditate frequently and profoundly on 
the characters of the saints, which are left on record, 
for our imitation. Let it not be supposed, because 
many of them were inspired, and had supernatural 
gifts, that they are not proper objects of imitation. 
They were men of like passions with ourselves, and 
were supported by supplies of grace from the same 
fountain from which we are permitted to draw. The 
same Spirit which wrought powerfully in them still 
exists in all the plenitude of his power, and is still 
with the church, and indwelling in every true 
believer. We are not straitened in God, but we 
are straitened in our own bowels. But if we can- 
not attain to the high eminence on which Abraham 
and Moses stood, can we not make some greater 
approximation to their character, than we have yet 
done ? Certainly we may derive benefit from imi- 
tating them, though at an humble distance. The 
child who writes after a copper-plate, may not hope 
to equal its perfection ; and yet it is a great advan- 
tage to him to have such a copy to follow. 

3. Remember that faith is the secret spring 
which keeps the spiritual life in motion. If you 
inquire what enabled Abraham to rise so high in 
the performance of difficult acts of obedience, the 
answer is, that he was strong in faith. He believed 
whatever God told him, and therefore he was able 
to do all that he commanded. And what rendered 
Moses so firm and faithful in all God's house? 
The apostle teaches that it was all by faith. And 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 353 

this has been the secret of the patient and cheerful 
sufferings of the martyrs. They trusted in God, 
and his strength was made perfect in their weak- 
ness. But if faith becomes weak, all external obser- 
vances, and all internal strivings will be ineffectual. 
Let your constant prayer then be, " Lord, increase 
our faith." It is by faith that we inherit the 
promises. 

4. To faith join patience ; for often the fulfilment 
of the promise is long deferred. Though it tarry, 
wait for it. The duty of Christians is often, in 
Scripture, expressed by " waiting" — waiting on 
the Lord. This implies, that patience is requisite. 
God may not see fit to appear when we first call. 
He may wisely intend to put our faith and patience 
to the test. A hasty, perturbed spirit, however 
warm the zeal, is not the proper temper of depend- 
ent beggars. We must learn to feel that we 
deserve no favour, and yet earnestly wait upon 
God, if peradventure he may have compassion 
on us. 

Again, God's people are in this world, an afflicted 
people. " Many are the afflictions of the righteous." 
In the world they shall suffer persecution ; and 
through various tribulations must enter the king- 
dom. Under these various afflictions, the only 
peace which they can enjoy, is connected with a 
patient, submissive temper ; a willingness to bear 
whatever their heavenly Father may think proper 
to lay upon them. 

5. Cast anchor on the solid ground of God's 
promises. Take fast hold, and resolve never to let 
go, and you will safely outride every storm. No 

45 



354 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

one has ever been disappointed who relied on the 
faithfulness of God. "A covenant-keeping God" 
is one of the titles by which he has made him- 
self known, " His faithfulness reacheth "unto the 
clouds." And he has promised to every one who 
trusteth in him, " I will never leave thee nor for- 
sake thee." Heaven and earth shall pass away, 
sooner than one jot or tittle shall fail of all that he 
has promised. " Hath he said it, and shall he not 
doit?" 

6. Meditate much on the promised inheritance. 
Think how near it is ; only a few days, or at most 
a few years distant. These will roll round as fast 
as those which have already gone by. Think how 
sure it is, resting on the promise of one who cannot 
lie. Think how rich it is — thought cannot reach 
it, much less can words describe it. 

But it is enough for believers to know that they 
shall be with Christ, shall behold his glory, and 
shall be like him, both in soul and body. 



SERMON XXIV. 



CHRIST THE BELIEVER S REFUGE AND CONSOLATION. 



That we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, 
to lay hold upon the hope set before us. — Heb. vi. 18. 



God would have his people to be comfortable. He 
has, therefore, laid a solid foundation in the pro- 
mises of his word, for their consolation. Human 
faith is weak, and unless well supported, is apt to 
totter and suffer the soul to sink into deep discour- 
agement. The promises of God, on which the 
believer leans, are not only rich, but sure: "they 
are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus to the glory 
of God." 

But as among men, that which is confirmed by 
a solemn oath is considered more firm than that 
which rests on a simple promise, therefore, God, in 
condescension to our infirmity, has been pleased to 
add an oath to his promise. And because there 
was none greater by whom he could swear, " he 
sware by himself, that by two immutable things, 
in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might 

355 



356 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to 
lay hold upon the hope set before us." 

The form of expression here used, is probably 
derived from a custom sanctioned by the law of 
Moses, that when any person killed a man, he had 
the privilege of fleeing to one of the cities of refuge. 
Of these, there were three on each side of the 
Jordan, so situated as to be in reach of the inhabi- 
tants of every part of the country. In ancient 
times, it was usual among most nations, for the 
nearest of kin to a murdered person, to avenge his 
death, by slaying the murderer. And the practice 
still exists among many barbarous tribes. The 
kinsman, on whom the duty of taking vengeance 
devolved, was called "the avenger of blood," who 
was considered bound in honour never to give over 
the pursuit of the manslayer, until blood was shed 
for blood. Whether this custom took its rise from 
what God said to Noah after the flood, " Whoso 
sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be 
shed ;" or whether it originated in the resentful 
feelings of human nature, it is not necessary to 
inquire. The Mosaic law certainly did not give 
rise to this ancient custom, but was intended to 
modify it, and to prevent the injustice and cruelty 
which were likely often to be done, in carrying 
this custom into effect. For, in the case in which 
a man was slain by another, without the deliberate 
purpose of taking away life, the kinsman of the 
slain, while in the heat of passion occasioned by 
the death of a near relation, would be poorly quali- 
fied impartially to judge of the motives from which 
the act proceeded. There was, therefore, danger 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 357 

lest death should be inflicted on an innocent person, 
or on one who did not merit so severe a punishment. 

By this law of Moses, therefore, an asylum was 
provided for every manslayer, who chose to avail 
himself of the privilege, until there was an oppor- 
tunity of a fair and impartial investigation, that the 
true character of the act might be ascertained. The 
gates of these cities of refuge were kept constantly 
open, that there might be no obstruction to hinder 
the ingress of the manslayer, by day or by night. 
The high- ways also, which led to these cities, and 
the bridges, were required to be kept in good 
repair. 

But although all manslayer s were permitted to 
take refuge in these cities ; yet the institution was 
not intended to screen the malicious murderer from 
condign punishment; nor could it avail such an 
one any thing to take refuge in them ; for if upon 
inquiry it was found, that the act was designed, the 
murderer was immediately delivered up to the 
avenger of blood to be put to death. 

There were, however, other places to which the 
guilty were accustomed to flee for refuge. We 
find that Joab when he feared for his life, fled to 
the altar of burnt-offerings, and laid hold of the 
horns of the altar, and refused to come away or let 
go his hold. Solomon, therefore, directed that he 
should be slain there. As there is nothing in 
Scripture to sanction this custom, it is probable that 
it was borrowed from the pagans, among whom 
temples and altars were always places of refuge for 
the guilty; and to slay them in these sacred places 
was looked upon as a sacrilegious violation of the 



358 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

sanctity of the place. Some particular places 
acquired such a reputation for sanctity, that fugi- 
tives from justice might remain securely in them 
for any length of time. Daphne, near to Antioch, 
in Syria, was one of the most renowned places of 
refuge in the whole heathen world. But if the 
refugees were caught without the precincts of these 
sacred places, they were liable to be put immedi- 
ately to death. 

It matters not to which of the fore-mentioned 
customs the allusion is made, in our text : the import 
is the same, in either case. 

The precise meaning of the word hope, requires 
a moment's consideration. By it most understand 
the object of hope, namely, justification and its con- 
sequence, eternal life. Others, however, understand 
the act or exercise of hope; but it is more probable, 
that by a common figure of speech, the apostle 
meant the foundation of hope; that is, the promise 
of which the apostle had been just speaking, and 
which generates hope in us. Certainly, this 
accords best with the preceding context, and with 
the scope of his argument. God had given a pro- 
mise and confirmed it by an oath. On this solid 
foundation faith could firmly rest, and hope is the 
fruit of faith, and ever rises and falls with it. He 
who believes the promise, lays hold of hope, for 
faith in the promises of God, is the pillar and 
ground of a gospel hope. 

Let us, then, contemplate the soul flying for 
refuge, and laying hold of the sure promise of God. 
And here it may be remarked, that no one seeks a 
refuge, unless he is apprehensive of some danger. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 359 

The traveller who sees a storm rising, and appre- 
hends some injury from exposure to the wind, rain, 
hail, and lightning, flies to the nearest shelter, and 
takes refuge from the gathering storm. 

So, he who is pursued by a vindictive enemy, 
as was the manslayer, bends his course, and hastens 
his steps, to the city of refuge. Thus, also, the 
sinner, when awakened to a true sense of his danger, 
begins to look out for a place of safety. But the 
person who apprehends no danger will not flee. 
You may call upon him, and invite him as much 
and as long as you will, but he heeds you not. He 
is urged by no motive strong enough to induce him 
to break off from his worldly pursuits, to seek salva- 
tion. Hence, the necessity of conviction of sin, 
that men may feel their need of a Saviour. " The 
whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." 
The first step, then, is, to see and feel that we are 
in a lost and perishing condition. We learn, in 
accordance with this, that the first work of the 
Spirit is, to convince men of sin. And although a 
mere legal conviction has no tendency to renew the 
heart ; yet, as God deals with sinners as reasonable, 
accountable creatures, he does not usually bestow 
grace and pardon on them, until they are made 
sensible of their wretched and helpless condition. 
Thus, those convicted on the day of Pentecost, 
were first pricked in their hearts, and cried out, 
" Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" And the 
jailor of Philippi, cried out, " What must I do to 
be saved." 

Careless sinners, all who are at ease in Zion, 
make light of the gospel invitation, and continue to 



360 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

neglect the great salvation. But when, by the law 
brought home to the conscience, the false peace of 
the sinner is interrupted ; when he begins to open 
his eyes on his true situation, and finds that he is 
in reality under a sentence of condemnation, and in 
a blind and helpless condition — that his whole 
nature is corrupt, and that he can do nothing to 
save himself, he begins in good earnest to inquire, 
whether there is any refuge for one in his wretched 
condition. He will now be disposed to listen to 
every report of a refuge whither he may fly and be 
safe. This subject now occupies his thoughts, and 
the things of time and sense no longer engross his 
attention. All earthly things appear trivial, and his 
only concern is, how he may escape impending 
wrath, and secure the salvation of his soul. Op- 
pressed with the burden of his iniquities, he groans 
in anguish. He is filled with compunction for the 
sins of his youth, which now rise up in fearful 
array before his conscience. He is ashamed to look 
up to the throne of a holy God, but cries with the 
publican, " God be merciful to me a sinner." He 
takes all the blame to himself, and acknowledges 
the righteousness of the sentence which condemns 
him. Sometimes, he is tempted to despair of any 
relief, but the free offer of salvation to the chief of 
sinners, in the gospel, encourages him to indulge a 
feeble hope, that God may intend mercy for his 
miserable soul. He turns his face, therefore, toward 
the house of refuge, and resolves that he will never 
give over seeking, and crying to God, for mercy. 

2. The manslayer, pursued by the avenger of 
blood, might, for a season, persuade himself that 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 361 

he could be safe in some other place, and might 
attempt to conceal himself in some refuge nearer 
home. Such a course would have been exceedingly 
unwise, for wherever he was, he would still be 
exposed to danger, and at an unexpected time, his 
adversary might fall upon him, and take away 
his life. In all the coasts of Israel, there was no 
place of security for a manslayer, but in one of the 
appointed cities of refuge. Here there was legiti- 
mate protection, and no where else. 

Just such is the case of the awakened sinner. 
He is convinced that danger impends ; and that he 
must seek some refuge from the coming storm. 
But he is unwilling to betake himself to the house 
of safety, to which he is pointed by the gospel. 
This method of escape is foreign from his thoughts, 
and uncongenial with his feelings. He naturally 
turns to the old covenant, under which he was 
created. The new is strange to him ; he does not 
understand it. He persuades himself that by 
reforming his life, and forsaking those sins which 
have particularly affected his conscience, he may be 
safe without fleeing to the house of refuge, which 
seems to him to be far off, and of difficult access. 
And if conscience is still unsatisfied with his refor- 
mation, he will add a diligent attendance on reli- 
gious duties. He will observe the Sabbath, attend 
the church, pray in his family and in his closet, 
and manifest much zeal in all that relates to the 
externals of religion. In the warmth of his zeal, he 
may even aspire to the holy ministry, and may be 
a monitor and reprover of other sinners. He 
fancies himself to be a religious man, and fondly 

46 



362 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

compares himself with the multitude who neglect 
all attention to religion, and infers that his condition 
must be safe. He compares his present with his 
former conduct, and congratulates himself upon the 
great change in his manner of life. By his fellow- 
professors he is viewed as an eminent Christian, 
and his delusion is so complete, that he has no 
suspicion of himself, but thinks that all is well, and 
that when he dies, he shall be received into heaven. 
The awakened sinner has indeed found a refuge, 
but alas ! it is " a refuge of lies." He has no shelter 
but his own rotten righteousness. He entertains 
high hopes, but they are built on a sandy founda- 
tion. At some future time, he will be convinced 
that he has taken refuge in an unsafe place, from 
which he must be driven, or miserably perish. 
This conviction of danger, may seize him while 
there is yet an opportunity of escaping to the true 
city of refuge which God has appointed, where he 
will still find safety and protection But often the 
mistake is not detected until it is too late to seek 
for safety in the true refuge. Some have their 
eyes opened to see their miserable condition just 
when they are leaving the world; when it is too 
late to prepare for eternity ; and others apprehend 
not their danger until the light of eternity reveals 
it to them. O wretched condition ! Let all con- 
vinced sinners beware of the danger of resting on 
a false foundation, or seeking safety in a refuge of 
lies. Let them never feel at ease, until they have 
entirely escaped from the plain of destruction, and 
have taken refuge in the mount of safety. We 
must be brought to renounce our own righteous- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 363 

ness and all dependence on our own works, or on 
our tears of repentance, and must put our trust 
solely in the all perfect righteousness of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

3. The figure, " flying for refuge," is as well 
suited to express the act of faith, when Christ is 
believed on, as any that could be used. And the 
phrase " laying hold," is strikingly descriptive of 
the earnestness with which the convinced sinner 
seizes the gracious promise of God, when his eyes 
are first opened to understand the freeness and 
fulness of the offered salvation. As a drowning 
man, with eagerness seizes a rope thrown to him, 
and grasps it with a firmness which nothing can 
loose, so the sinner pursued by the demands of the 
broken law, flies to the house of refuge which is 
opened in the gospel, and immediately enjoys the 
feeling of repose ; yea, often, of strong consolation. 
The expression lay hold of would seem to have 
allusion to the horns of the altar, which the guilty 
person who sought an asylum, grasped. 

Although there is considerable variety in the 
exercises of sincere converts ; yet there are some 
leading points in which the experience of all true 
believers agrees. As all are by nature in the same 
condition of condemnation and depravity; as all 
are equally helpless ; as the same gospel is the 
object of the faith of all ; and as regeneration in all 
is the work of the same Holy Spirit ; there can be 
no essential difference in the nature of the exercises 
of genuine converts. All, for example, are con- 
vinced of sin, and feel themselves to be in a perish- 
ing condition. This conviction may, in some, be 



364 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

attended with a much livelier sense of danger, than 
in others: but the degree of fear and terror excited, 
is a mere circumstance which does not determine 
either the depth or genuineness of the sinner's con- 
victions; for there may be overwhelming terror 
where there is but little true conviction, and there 
may be deep and scriptural conviction where there 
is little terror, and where the mind remains calm. 
Indeed, it often happens, that when conviction is 
deepest, the mind is most calm. Even when it 
seems to be on. the borders of despair, and has 
almost relinquished hope, there is often a calm, but 
sad serenity, which is not easily accounted for. 

There is not only a conviction of sin, in all true 
converts, but a thorough feeling of utter helpless- 
ness; not only a conviction of inability to keep 
the law, but also to repent of sin or receive the 
gospel. Unbelief is commonly the last sin of which 
the Spirit convinces the awakened soul — "'of sin, 
because they believe not in me." But the truly 
convinced sinner never pleads his inability as his 
excuse, nor feels less guilty on this account. No, 
this he is sensible is the very core of his iniquity. 
Other sins are the branches of the evil tree, but 
this is the bitter root out of which they grow ; and, 
therefore, every convinced sinner is led clearly to 
see the justice of God in his condemnation. He 
may be said to " accept the punishment of his 
sins ;" for he acquiesces in the justice of the sen- 
tence which condemns him to eternal misery. He 
justifies God, and takes all the blame to himself 
Indeed, at this point of experience, the goodness, 
and especially the long-suffering of God toward 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 365 

him, is apt to affect his mind in a very sensible 
manner ; and his feeling is, that if he perish eter- 
nally, he never can feel that he has been unjustly 
treated, but that his gratitude is due to God for his 
long continued and unmerited kindness. Views 
and feelings of the kind mentioned, can only be 
accounted for, on the supposition that a spiritual 
change has already passed on the soul; though 
nothing is further from the belief of the subject of 
these exercises. The sinner is often renewed before 
he is aware of it. Spiritual life is breathed into 
the soul, before it is filled with the joy and peace 
which arises from receiving Christ by faith. There 
are evident pulsations of life, and vital breathings 
after God, the effect of renewing grace, before the 
eyes are opened to behold the reconciled face of 
God in Christ. One of the earliest sensible feel- 
ings of the regenerated soul, is a sense of ingrati- 
tude, which breaks the heart hitherto hard, into a 
melting frame of godly sorrow. Tears flow apace. 
This sorrow is sweet in the experience, because it 
is always mingled with a sense of the mercy and 
goodness of God ; and yet there may be no thought 
of being in a safe state. But, usually, such exer- 
cises are soon succeeded by views of Christ as 
an able and a willing Saviour. These first views 
of a Saviour are sometimes sudden and overwhelm- 
ing. The soul feels itself transported, as it were, 
into a new world. Gross darkness is exchanged 
for " marvellous light." The "joy is unspeakable 
and full of glory." The soul exults and glories in 
the cross of Christ; and all doubt and fear are 
expelled, and the heart is at once filled with con- 



366 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

trition and with love and peace. These first 
views of a Saviour are often more remarkable, and 
more sensible in the flow of affection which accom- 
panies them, than any afterwards experienced. The 
blessed vision of divine truth thus enjoyed, may 
be repeated twice or thrice, and then the soul is 
left to what may be called the common encourage- 
ments and hopes which the gospel inspires. But 
it would be unjust and injurious to many sincere 
Christians, to lay down the preceding, as the uni- 
form experience of all the children of God. So far 
from it, that I am persuaded, that a large majority 
of those converted in our day, are led in a different 
way. Their first views are very obscure, and they 
can point to no particular time, when all darkness 
and doubt were banished from their minds. The 
light, with them, has been like the dawn of day, at 
first an obscure twilight, but gradually increasing 
to the clear light of day. They are very sensible 
of a great change in their views and feelings, from 
what they once were, but how it came about, they 
cannot tell. All they can say is, " whereas I was 
once blind, now I see." 

Often, the first views of Christ are very partial. 
Perhaps, the soul that had considered its case as 
hopeless, begins to see and understand, that Christ is 
able to save it, desperate as its condition seemed to 
be ; and even this, which to many would seem as a 
small matter, is to a convinced soul almost in 
despair, as life from the dead. O to be assured 
that salvation is even possible, fills the soul with a 
delight it never before experienced. Hope now 
takes place of despondency ; and the soul into which 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 367 

this first ray of light is darted, forms the purpose 
never to give over seeking, until salvation is 
obtained. And, in its progress, one of its greatest 
difficulties is to suppress a continually rising- 
thought, that a change has been experienced. 
As sincere souls are more apprehensive of no 
danger than of false hope, they become alarmed, 
when they find themselves insensibly sliding into 
the opinion that they are already Christians ; and 
yet this persuasion is hard to be resisted, because 
it is based on the evidences of piety contained in 
the word of God, and laid down by judicious 
divines. 

4. The blessed effect of flying to this refuge 
which is set before us is, strong consolation. No 
feeling with which we have an acquaintance is 
more delightful, than an assurance of deliverance 
from a great impending calamity. And as no 
danger to which we can be exposed is comparable 
to that of everlasting misery; so no enjoyment is so 
sweet, as the joy of salvation. It is described as 
" unspeakable and full of glory." It cannot be 
otherwise, but that there should be peace and joy 
in believing ; for he who truly believes, must have 
some view of Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour. 
He must have some apprehension of the refuge 
provided for guilty sinners ; yea, must have fled to 
this refuge, which act cannot take place without 
experiencing something of that repose and comfort, 
which must necessarily follow from the discovery 
of a way of escape from the impending wrath of 
God. But it is evident that though there is ample 
provision made for strong consolation to all who fiv 



368 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

to this refuge; yet the comfort enjoyed will gene- 
rally be in proportion to the strength of the faith 
exercised. Often, faith, in its commencement, is 
like a grain of mustard-seed, so small, that in the 
midst of the darkness and corruption of the human 
heart, it can scarcely be discerned. And there is 
in many a gloomy, melancholy temperament; or 
such a degree of suspicion and diffidence of them- 
selves, that they cannot easily be persuaded that 
they are in a safe state. Their comfort is therefore 
greatly marred by doubts and fears, which accom- 
pany some pious persons through their whole 
pilgrimage. There are also, often, mistakes enter- 
tained, respecting the true nature of conversion. 
It is assumed as a truth, that this change is in all 
cases, very great and perceptible ; and as they have 
never experienced any thing of this sort, they sup- 
pose that they are still impenitent. 

There is, moreover, some degree of perverseness 
in relation to this matter, in some serious people. 
They get into the habit of taking part against them- 
selves, and of uttering constantly complaints of 
their unhappy state; and also of- refusing that con- 
solation which the gospel freely offers to persons in 
their condition. Such persons may be said to 
deprive themselves of consolation. But it seems 
wisely orderly, that our spiritual comforts should 
rise and fall with the degree of strength or weak- 
ness in our faith. If we could enjoy strong conso- 
lation while faith and love were feeble, it would 
prevent us from using suitable exertion to rise, and 
grow in our spiritual attainments. There is, how- 
ever, in the promises of God a rich fountain, from 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 369 

whence streams of strong consolation may at any 
time be drawn, by the exercise of a living faith. 
All other joy fades away in the near prospect of 
death and eternity. It is earthly in its source, and 
cannot endure the bright light of eternity to shine 
upon it. But the consolations which are found in 
Christ, become richer and stronger, the more we 
meditate on the awful realities of the future world. 
Indeed, much of this strong consolation, experienced 
by the believer, arises from an assured hope of 
heavenly felicity. It is the anticipation of future 
blessedness which fills the heart with a joy which 
cannot be expressed. If, then, we would partake 
of this "strong consolation," let us be strong in 
faith ; not staggering at the promise through unbe- 
lief, but being fully persuaded that what God hath 
promised, he will surely perform. Let us hold fast 
the beginning of our confidence, encouraging our 
hearts to embrace the promises in all their fulness 
and freeness. Let us come boldly to the throne of 
grace, that we may obtain mercy. 

1. From what has been said, it may be inferred, 
that there is good reason for the name " gospel" — 
" good news." For to the sinner, justly condemned 
by the unalterable law of God, it opens a safe 
refuge, to which the guiltiest may flee. I would, 
therefore, now invite, exhort, and entreat every 
sinner to avail himself, speedily, of this safe retreat. 
Fly from impending wrath. The storm of divine 
vengeance lowers over your head, and unless you 
get into some safe shelter, will soon overtake you, 
and will surely overwhelm you, and plunge you 
into endless perdition. Escape then — escape for 

47 



370 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

your lives. There is no time to be lost. The door 
of mercy is now open, but none can tell how soon 
it may be closed, for ever. 

2. Let all beware of false refuges. Of these, 
there are many, into which deluded souls enter in 
search of safety, but by which they are only ex- 
posed to a more dreadful destruction. They can 
furnish no real shelter from the storm of divine 
wrath. The most they can do is, to afford a momen- 
tary ease, by cherishing false hopes. But when 
the hope of the hypocrite perishes, as it certainly 
will, then he is left in a more miserable condition, 
than if he had never indulged any hope. Among 
false refuges, we may mention infidelity, or the 
fond persuasion that there is no danger of future 
punishment ; a trust in a decent, moral life, with- 
out any saving knowledge of a crucified Saviour ; 
self-righteousness, or a dependence on the exact 
performance of religious rites and duties ; also 
the vain self-confidence of fanatics and anti- 
nomians, who trust to their own disordered imagi- 
nations, or deceitful hearts. Fly not to any of 
these, for they are all refuges of lies. 

3. As long as the Christian is in this world, he 
needs a refuge to which he may flee in seasons of 
affliction and danger. In himself, there is no help 
nor strength. He is like a defenceless, timorous 
dove, liable to be devoured by every rapacious bird 
of prey. If he had no place of refuge, he could not 
escape destruction. But having once entered the 
house of refuge, he is safe ; no enemy dare pursue 
him within this sacred refuge : or if he should there 
be assaulted, he has at hand a mighty Redeemer. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 371 

4. The believer having found a safe refuge, 
should be careful to remain within the limits pre- 
scribed. The manslayer, though acquitted, could 
not with safety leave the city of refuge, during the 
life-time of the high-priest, and that might often be 
as long as he himself lived. But our High-priest 
ever lives, and therefore we must ever remain in 
the refuge to which we have fled. There is safety 
there, and no where else. And even when we 
leave this world, we are only transferred to a higher, 
holier refuge. 

5. Let condemned and perishing sinners, who 
are exposed daily to the wrath of God, avail them- 
selves of the opportunity of escaping to a place of 
safety. Let there be no delay in fleeing from the 
wrath to come. While you delay and procrastinate, 
divine vengeance may suddenly overtake you. Be- 
hold, now is the accepted time, and now is the day 
of salvation. How can you escape, if you neglect 
so great salvation ! Christ, who has provided this 
refuge, or rather, who is himself the sinner's Refuge, 
kindly invites you to come to him for rest. And 
his gracious promise is, that "him that cometh he 
will in no wise cast out." Be wise, then, ye 
sons of men, and know the time of your merciful 
visitation; for many who once occupied precisely 
the ground which you now do, have eternally 
perished. They put off the matter too long, and 
now must lament their folly through eternity! 



SERMON XXV. 



RETURNING TO OUR FIRST LOVE. 



Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left 
thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, 
and repent, and do the first works ; or else I will come unto thee 
quickly, and will remove thy candle-stick out of his place, except 
thou repent. — Rev. ii. 4, 5. 



Although our blessed Saviour never wrote any 
thing himself for the church; yet we have in the 
evangelists many of his discourses in substance, if 
not entire ; and here we have seven epistles, dictated 
by him, and communicated to his beloved John, 
after his ascension to glory. The first of these was 
addressed to the church at Ephesus, the capital of 
proconsular Asia; and the other churches to which 
epistles were addressed, were situated in the vicinity. 
As the apostle John had taken up his abode at 
Ephesus, these churches would naturally fall under 
his inspection and care. The angels, through 
whom these epistles were addressed to the churches, 
are commonly supposed to have been the pastors ; 
but a late writer of our own country, has an ingeni- 
ous conjecture, that these angels were, in fact, the 
373 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 373 

messengers of these seven churches who had been 
sent by them to attend on, and comfort their beloved 
apostle, in his exile, in the island of Patmos. 

Many interpreters, because these epistles are 
placed as a preface to a book of prophecy, have 
been of opinion, that they were of a propheti- 
cal character, representing seven successive periods 
of the history of the Christian church. But there 
is nothing in these letters to the churches of Asia, 
which has the least appearance of prediction, except 
the threatenings and blessings which are appended 
to the epistles, respectively. And the attempts to 
apply the supposed prophecies to the several 
periods of the history of the Christian church, have 
utterly failed ; or such force has been necessary to 
make out any correspondence between the matter 
of the epistles and the events of history, that every 
impartial reader must see, that there exists no solid 
foundation for the opinion, that these seven epistles 
to the churches of proconsular Asia were intended to 
be prophetical. It may be satisfactory to some, to 
mention, that the name Asia, as that of Europe, was 
at first confined to a comparatively small district, 
of which Ephesus was the capital. Most of the 
cities to which these epistles were addressed are 
now in a state of utter desolation, and none more 
so than Ephesus, which was in the days of the 
apostle, one of the most celebrated cities in the 
world. The threatening against the church in this 
place, mentioned in our text, has been most signally 
fulfilled. Not only has the candlestick been re- 
moved, but the city in which the church was situ- 
ated is a total ruin. There is something fearful, 



374 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

and at the same time, admonitory, in viewing the 
utter desolation of many ancient cities, which 
seemed to have as fair a prospect of perpetuity as 
any which now flourish upon earth. And does the 
same doom await these also ? Will the candlestick 
be removed from our great cities ? Doubtless, these 
things were recorded for the admonition and warn- 
ing of all succeeding churches, to the end of the 
world. There is a greater uniformity in God's 
government of cities, churches and nations, than 
most are willing to acknowledge. Without claim- 
ing any thing of the spirit of prophecy, it may be 
predicted, that when the cup of iniquity, in our 
large cities, is full, (and the filling goes on very 
rapidly,) they also will become desolate; and 
the ground now so highly appreciated, will become 
worthless ; and the churches, w T hich have left, or 
shall leave their first love, and refuse to repent, 
will be removed ; so that no vestige of them shall 
remain, as is literally the fact, in regard to Ephesus. 
Already Ichabod may be inscribed on some 
churches in our land, for the glory is departed. 
And as it relates to the different- denominations of 
evangelical Christians, it may be predicted that 
those which decline most from the truth, and from 
the spirit of genuine piety, will, notwithstanding 
all their efforts to increase, and although they may, 
for a while, flourish in numbers and wealth, be 
cast off, and doomed to become desolate. Let all 
Christians, therefore, fear the wrath of that august 
personage, described in the first chapter of this 
book, out of whose mouth proceeds a sharp two- 
edged sword. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 375 

Before speaking of the declension of these Ephe- 
sian Christians, it will be proper to say something 
of what is here called " first love." The promi- 
nent characteristic of every soul truly converted to 
Christianity, is love to the Saviour. The faith 
which is the gift of God, and which is wrought in 
Christians by the Holy Spirit, always works by 
love. Love is, therefore, set down as the first and 
principal fruit of the Spirit. Now, there is some- 
thing peculiar in the exercise of this first love of 
the young convert. Its exercise is fervent and 
tender, not founded, indeed, on such accurate 
views of the character of Christ as are afterwards 
acquired ; and commonly less pure from mere 
animal excitement, than that of the mature Chris- 
tian, but accompanied with more joy and exultation. 
These joyful frames, so common in new converts, 
may be ascribed to several causes. The first is 
the recent transition of the soul from a conviction 
of condemnation, and ruin, and helplessness, to a 
state of favour and reconciliation. When the 
views of the way of salvation are clear, and the 
faith strong, there is commonly a joyful persuasion 
of safety and pardon ; and even the hope of pardon 
after a dark season of distress and conscious con- 
demnation is like life from the dead. This case is 
well illustrated by that of a criminal reprieved 
from death when under the gallows. His first 
feelings will be extatic, and though his safety is as 
certain years afterwards, he never will experience 
the same liveliness of joy. 

Another thing which stamps a peculiarity on 
the first love of the Christian is the novelty of the 



376 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

objects and scenes which are now presented to his 
enlightened mind. All his life time he has been 
in darkness respecting the true nature of spiritual 
things ; for " the natural man receiveth not the 
things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness 
unto him, neither can he know them, because they 
are spiritually discerned." But now the eyes of his 
understanding being opened, and the true light 
shining into them, every thing appears new and 
attractive ; and sometimes, a divine glory is ex- 
hibited to the contemplation of the enlightened 
mind. This light is, therefore, called " marvellous," 
by an apostle, and the love which accompanies it, 
partakes of its marvellous nature. " Whom," says 
the apostle Peter, " not having seen we love ; in 
whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, 
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." 

Again, God deals with his children in the infancy 
of their spiritual life, as mothers with their children, 
while they are young. They nurse them with 
tender affection, and do every thing in their power 
to render them comfortable. They furnish them 
with- the sweetest nutriment, cherish them in their 
bosoms, carry them in their arms, and rock them in 
the cradle. But when they have been weaned, 
and have grown strong, they are turned out to 
shift for themselves. They must now learn to 
work and endure hardships, and are no longer 
cherished at the breast, or dandled on the mother's 
knee. 

Thus, our heavenly Father, who exercises a 
warmer and tenderer affection for his children, 
than the kindest mothers, is pleased to deal very 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 377 

tenderly with young converts; and often pours 
streams of divine comfort into their susceptible 
hearts. They are for a season led in smooth and 
pleasant paths ; and, though dark clouds may occa- 
sionally come over them, and "weeping may endure 
for a night; yet joy cometh in the morning." , In 
their prayers and other religious exercises, they 
enjoy liberty of access to their heavenly Father ; 
and much of their time is spent in grateful songs 
of praise, for redeeming love and converting grace. 
The state of the soul at this period, is beautifully 
expressed by the poet, in the hymn, which begins, 

" Sweet was the time when first I felt 
The Saviour's pardoning blood," &c. 

Earthly things now have little or no attraction. 
The thoughts and feelings, the conversation and 
actions are chiefly occupied with religion. These 
are indeed halcyon days, and will be often after- 
wards remembered with a mournful pleasure, when 
the scene is greatly changed; and especially when 
inbred corruption grows strong, when temptations 
vex the soul, and when the heart seems to have 
lost all tenderness; and when, instead of joy, dark- 
ness and trouble almost overwhelm the soul. Then 
is often uttered the exclamation of Job, "0, that it 
were with me as in months past." 

The union of the believer to Christ, is, in Scrip- 
ture, often compared to marriage; and the joy of 
the young convert is like the joy experienced in 
the day of espousals. (Jer. ii. 2.) 

The early days of the true Christian may also 
be well illustrated by the feelings of the newly 
enlisted soldier. He rejoices in the " pomp and 

48 



378 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

circumstance" of the military life; is animated by 
the sound of martial music, and by the sight of 
splendid banners, and the gorgeous costume of his 
officers; and leads a life of idleness, while his 
bounty money supplies him with such luxuries as 
he desires. But how different are the condition 
and feelings of the same person, when he receives 
marching orders; and especially, when he is led 
into battle, when all his energies are put in requisi- 
tion, and his life is placed in imminent danger ! 

But the change in the Ephesian church, of 
which the ascended Saviour complains, and on 
account of which he brings a charge against them, 
is not that which naturally occurs by a change of 
circumstances, which may take place without any 
real declension in the vigour of piety. When he 
says, "thou hast left thy first love," he charges 
them with actual backsliding. And the declension 
of a church supposes that of the members of which 
it is composed. 

Let us, then, consider the causes and symptoms 
of backsliding ; and the imperative duty of all who 
may unhappily have fallen into this state. 

Declensions in vital piety are owing to a variety 
of causes, internal and external. Some of these 
operate in one case, and different ones, in others ; the 
whole, however, may be attributed to the tempta- 
tions of Satan, the allurements of the world, and the 
inbred corruptions of the heart. Declensions in 
religion are very commonly produced by too much 
intercourse with a careless, money-loving, pleasure- 
seeking world. Vital religion is a delicate plant, 
and being surrounded by many unfavourable cir- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 379 

cumstances, is liable to receive injury from contact 
with a polluted world. He who is clothed in 
garments white and clean, will find it difficult to 
avoid contracting spots which deform and defile his 
robes, when he is obliged to live in a filthy house. 
Piety is not the natural state of the heart, but is 
brought in by a foreign influence, and finds many 
things inimical to its preservation and growth, in 
the soul in which it has taken up its abode. For 
a while, at first, the young convert thinks but little 
about the business and cares of the world. Perhaps 
he is culpably inattentive to those duties which are 
required in making provision for the body. But 
soon he finds, that he must serve God in a lawful 
calling — he must make honest provision for his own 
wants and those of his family. It is hard to pur- 
sue the world just as far as duty calls, and then to 
stop. When the efforts to acquire property are 
successful, a pleasure is naturally experienced in 
the acquisition of good things. And, after a while, 
an undue love of the world is apt to be generated 
insensibly. The evil creeps in insidiously, and 
nothing unjust is thought of; but the undue love 
of the world, whether of its riches, its honours, or 
its pleasures, will soon injuriously influence the 
love of the soul to its Saviour. The thoughts are 
too much drawn off from the contemplation of divine 
things, and the relish for spiritual duties and enjoy - 
ments is sensibly diminished. The duties of the 
closet are no longer anticipated with delight ; and 
the hours consecrated to private devotion, which 
were wont to be the pleasantest in the whole day, 
do not now afford the same comfort as formerly. 



380 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

The want of enjoyment in religions duties, and the 
wandering of the thoughts in the midst of them, 
and the want of lively feeling naturally tend to 
produce a backwardness to engage in them ; so that 
were not the person forced, as it were, by conscience 
to enter his closet, he would often omit the duty 
altogether. But when secret prayer is attended to, 
the person on whom the world has had an undue 
influence, hurries over the service ; and often the 
omission would be better than the performance, 
where the service is merely formal, and the knee is 
bowed and words uttered, without one devotional 
emotion. 

Worldly company, and too much occupation 
in secular affairs, are almost sure to deaden our 
pious affections, and to disqualify us for spirit- 
ual exercises. At first, the soul which has in it the 
" root of the matter," is alarmed at the defect of 
spiritual enjoyment, and makes, it may be, some 
inefficient efforts to recover the ground which has 
been lost ; but these not proving successful, it gives 
itself up to a kind of indifference. It avoids serious 
reflection on its former state of lively feeling ; or 
perhaps is tempted to think that there was more 
enthusiasm than real religion in those joyful frames, 
which were once so highly valued. And this 
temptation derives strength from the recollection 
of our ignorance, and the many false impressions 
to which we were then subject. Just so far as this 
temptation has influence, the backslider loses all 
present desire of having his former exercises of 
religion renewed. This is a fearful and dangerous 
delusion. In this state of delusion, the person tries 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 3S1 

to persuade himself, that he has lost nothing; that 
sober thought and rational feeling have taken the 
place of enthusiastic fervours. But where there is 
any spiritual life, there will be seasons of uneasi- 
ness, and an irrepressible feeling that all is not right, 
These, however, are but waking moments in the 
sleep of carnal security, into which the soul has 
fallen. For the most part, the conscience is lulled 
into a false security ; and is so little awake, to give 
warning of danger, that many things now appear 
to be lawful and innocent, which would have been 
avoided as highly criminal in the time of its first 
love. Indeed, while in this state of slumbering, 
you can perceive very little difference between the 
declining professor, and the mere moralist who 
makes no pretensions to religion. And the people 
of the world are surprised and gratified, to find that 
those whom they once shunned, on account of their 
seriousness, are so much like themselves, and can 
join with them in gay conversation, and partici 
pate in their amusements without scruple. 

But let a lively Christian attempt to engage such 
persons in spiritual and experimental conversation 
on religion, and see what repugnance they will 
manifest to lay open the state of their hearts. Soon 
they will contrive to change the subject; and while 
it continues, they assent with painful feelings, to 
what may be said. " Out of the abundance of the 
heart, the mouth speaketh." There is no surer 
sign of declension from our first love, than an aver- 
sion to conversation respecting Christ, and his 
love, and our great obligations to love, honour and 
praise him, to the utmost of our power. Many 



382 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

leave their first love to Christ, who never fall into 
open transgression : but some are not so much 
favoured. They are " overtaken in a fault," under 
some sudden temptation, as Peter. Others, gradu- 
ally sink into a state of carnal security, until like 
David, they become entangled by some insidious 
lust. When off their guard, the enemy comes in, 
and presenting the bait of sensual pleasure, they 
are overcome, and remain for a season, under the 
dominion of sin. Often it becomes necessary to 
exclude such from the communion of the church, 
for conduct which is dishonourable to their sacred 
profession. And the judicious exercise of discipline, 
is sometimes made the effectual means of recovering 
true Christians from a state of shameful backsliding. 
Discipline is not intended for the destruction of 
those on whom it is exercised ; but that they may 
be saved, by destruction of their pride and sinful 
propensities. 

A more common means of restoring backsliders, 
is the rod of affliction. The reason why God 
scourgeth every son that he receiveth is, because 
all have faults and imperfections, which a kind 
Father aims to correct, by the use of the rod. By 
affliction, the vanity of the world is seen. The 
infatuation produced by the love of the world is 
broken. In the dark day of adversity, when the 
idols of the backsliding Christian have been snatched 
away; when sickness has invaded his dwelling, 
and, either in his own person, or those as dear to 
him as his own soul, he is excruciated with strong 
pain, and no earthly resource remains on which he 
can rely for consolation, he is filled with sorrow for 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 383 

having departed from the fountain of living water, 
and is driven to seek refuge and comfort in the 
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The last thing which we propose to consider, is 
the return of the soul to its first love. Backsliding 
Christians might, in justice, be cast off for ever; 
but God, who has entered into covenant with his 
people, is faithful ; and one of the promises of the 
new covenant is, that he will " heal their backslid- 
ing." The good Shepherd looks after his wander- 
ing sheep, and restores them. But this he does 
by bringing them to a deep conviction of their 
sin. Their second conversion is, like the first, 
attended with many painful and anxious feelings, 
but after many discouragements, they are enabled 
to come to Christ and cast themselves upon his 
mercy ; and to their astonishment, their reception is 
most gracious. They are welcomed as though 
they had never offended, and are restored to the 
joy of the divine favour. 

But let us attend to the directions given in 
the text, to the Ephesian Christians. And the 
first is, to remember whence we have fallen. 
In a state of declension, there is a strange for- 
getfulness of former experience in the divine 
life. It is, therefore, very significantly repre- 
sented by a state of sleep. The very first step 
towards a return to God, is to be awakened from 
this spiritual slumber ; to remember what we 
once possessed and enjoyed, and to compare our 
present condition with our former. This awakened 
recollection will lead the soul to understand the 
cause of its departure from God, and to trace all 



384 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the steps of its retrograde course. Memory is a 
valuable faculty of our minds, and its exercise is of 
much avail in religion. ' ' Remember ! ' ' My hearers, 
our exalted Saviour seems to address this word 
unto us. Let us, then, remember what we once 
were; what lively feelings of penitence, love, and 
joy, sweetly mingled their emotions in our early 
experience in religion. Let us remember what 
hopes we then cherished, what resolutions we 
formed — yea, what solemn vows we made and 
recorded in the house of God. Did we then sup- 
pose, that we should ever become so cold and 
indifferent in our religious feelings as at present? 
When aged Christians warned us of our danger, 
we were disposed to think that their solicitude in 
our behalf was superfluous, for we were confident, 
that we should never decline from the walk of 
faith. Our foresight was, indeed, short; by insen- 
sible degrees we left our first love, and have wan- 
dered like straying sheep. But now, again, the 
good Shepherd causes us to hear his voice. And 
his first call to us is to " remember" — to remember 
whence we have fallen. This - is in order to the 
next step, which is to repent. Be sorry for what 
you have done. We should be willing to admit 
the painful, humbling conviction that we have 
grievously and foolishly sinned, in departing from 
the living God. Sin is embittered to none, more 
than to the penitent backslider; especially the sin 
of ingratitude breaks his heart. He is astonished 
at his own blindness and unbelief which prevented 
him from seeing the snare which the enemy spread 
to entangle his feet. O what infatuation ! after 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 385 

having tasted the joy of pardoned sin, and after 
being favoured with the spirit of adoption, to turn 
again to folly. This fills him, on the recollection, 
with astonishment and regret; and he now asks 
himself, "What fruit had ye in those things 
whereof ye are now ashamed?" Where now are 
the promised pleasures of sin ? Alas ! that which 
was sweet in the mouth is turned to gall and worm- 
wood in the stomach. Remember, then, from 
whence thou hast fallen and repent. 

But our obedience must not be confined to the 
feelings and affections of the heart, however pious 
and penitent these may be. A good tree will pro- 
duce good fruit. Our Lord, therefore, adds, " and do 
the first works." Immediately, on a sinner's first 
conversion, he begins to work. " Lord, what wilt 
thou have me to do?" is the language of every 
renewed heart. " He that hath my commandments 
and keepeth them," saith our Lord, "he it is that 
loveth me." "If ye love me keep my command- 
ments." But in a state of backsliding, the com- 
mandments of Christ are neglected, or obeyed in a 
very imperfect manner. Undue conformity to the 
\\ orld takes the place of self-denial, and formality is 
substituted for spirituality, in the worship of God. 
But when the backslider is reclaimed — which is 
really a new conversion — he is again led to engage 
cordially in the service of God. He now returns 
to the performance of his first works, as well as to 
the exercise of his first love. He again abounds in 
prayer and praise, makes the Sabbath a delight, 
and counts it honourable ; draws nigh to God in the 
holy supper ; and is found walking in all the com- 

49 



386 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

mandments of the Lord, blameless. He does justly, 
loves mercy, and walks humbly with his God. The 
heart of a reclaimed backslider is sure to be more 
humble and distrustful of itself than before. There 
is also, now, more caution and watchfulness, in 
regard to the heart. It has been found to be 
" deceitful above all things," and, therefore, ought 
not to be trusted. The vain self-confidence of such, 
is now completely cured. The reclaimed penitent 
knows, experimentally, that his standing is not in 
himself; that unless he is preserved by the grace 
of God, he will certainly fall away again. 

The penitent backslider is especially on his 
guard against those sins and temptations by which 
he was overcome, when he departed from God; so 
that, in all his after life, he is more secure from 
these, than from other sins. 

Two feelings are predominant in the exercises of 
a returning backslider ; these are shame, and a lively 
feeling of the baseness of ingratitude. Such a soul 
is ashamed to look up, and is often so confounded 
and overwhelmed with this feeling, that it remains 
silent before God. This frame of mind is vividly 
described by Ezekiel in the following language : 
" That thou mayest remember and be confounded, 
and never open thy mouth any more because of thy 
shame, when I am pacified toward thee, for all that 
thou hast done, saith the Lord God." 

The mercy of God, in graciously receiving the 
returning backslider, appears to him more wonder- 
ful than it did on his first conversion, and his 
admiration of the long-suffering of the Lord is 
greatly enhanced. It is true, then, that God in his 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 387 

wisdom, overrules even the falls and declensions of 
his people, to increase their humility and watchful- 
ness. The reclaimed backslider is also rendered 
more charitable and forbearing to his brethren, when 
they appear delinquent in duty, or are overtaken in 
a fault. 

Let all churches make the inquiry seriously 
and honestly, whether they have not left their first 
love. With many, the fact is notorious; their 
departure from God may be said to be visible, and 
great. Where is now that ferment affection and 
ardent zeal which once characterized them ? Where 
now is that spirit of earnest, wrestling prayer, 
which seemed as if it would give God no rest until 
he should cause the righteousness of Zion to go 
forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof, as a 
lamp that burneth ? Where now is that fruitful- 
ness in works of piety, mercy, and benevolence, 
which adorned your profession ? 

" Remember, therefore, from whence ye are 
fallen and repent, and do your first works." Other- 
wise, the threatening against Ephesus, so fear- 
fully executed, may be realized in your case. Your 
candlestick may be removed. Darkness may suc- 
ceed to light. Error may overspread the church. 
Faithful ministers may be withdrawn, and false 
teachers may come in their place. For your own 
sakes, and that of your posterity, awake out of 
your sleep. Seek the Lord for the return of his 
grieved Spirit. Cry mightily to God for his reviv- 
ing influences. 

As every church consists of individuals, I would 
call upon all professors to consider their ways. 



388 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; 
and whether you are in a growing, thriving con- 
dition ; for if not, you are surely in a state of 
declension. There is no standing still in religion. 
If you are not pressing forward, you are certainly 
retrograding. You are, this day, solemnly called 
upon to remember the times and seasons which are 
past — to remember the love and joy of your 
espousals unto Christ, when the candle of the Lord 
shone upon your tabernacle ; and when your chief 
delight was in the service of God ; when the very 
name of Jesus was as ointment poured forth — when 
he gave you songs in the night, and 'in the morn- 
ing, your first thoughts spontaneously arose to God 
your Redeemer. Then you could say, " It is good 
for me to draw near to God." " Whom have I in 
heaven but thee?" "There is none in the earth 
that I desire besides thee." " One day in thy courts 
is better than a thousand, and I had rather be a 
door-keeper in the house of God, than dwell in the 
tents of sin." Then you rejoiced, when they said, 
" Come, let us go up to the house of the Lord." 

But how is it with you now ?- What does con- 
science testify as to your present condition ? What 
testimony would your closet give, if it could speak ? 
Alas ! what a change ! Where now are your reli- 
gious comforts? What has become of that sweet 
peace you once enjoyed ? Perhaps, you even 
doubt of the reality or genuineness of your former 
experiences. You have, like the virgins in the 
parable, fallen into a slumbering state, in which the 
awful truths of religion are dimly perceived, and 
make but a slight and transient impression on your 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 389 

mind, when they occur to your thoughts. To you, 
I would say, " Awake out of sleep, arise from the 
dead, and Christ shall give thee light," Remem- 
ber from whence you have fallen; repent and do 
your first works. Your present situation is one of 
extreme danger. While in this deadening state, 
you cannot possess satisfactory evidence of the 
genuineness of your piety. While in this state you 
cannot glorify God, nor be useful to men according 
to your ability and opportunity. And how sad 
your condition, if death should find you in this un- 
prepared state ! " O that they were w T ise, that 
they would consider their latter end." 

If there should be any present who have been 
made sensible of their sinful departure from God, 
and who are sunk in discouragement, and agonized 
with fear, lest they have sinned beyond the reach 
of mercy and bounds of forgiveness, and who, by 
these views are prevented from returning, to such 
I would say, dishonour not God, by entertaining 
such hard and unbelieving thoughts. His mercy 
is infinite. As high as are the heavens above the 
earth, so high are his thoughts of mercy above our 
conception. He has left special promises for the 
encouragement of such as you; and he has never 
rejected one who came unto him. You cannot 
gratify the heart of your sympathizing Saviour 
more, than by exercising confidence in his power 
and willingness to save you. 

I would conclude by addressing you in the lan- 
guage of God by the prophet Hosea : " O Israel, 
return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen 
by thine iniquity. Take with you words and turn 



390 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

to the Lord ; say unto him, take away all iniquity 
and receive us graciously — for in thee the fatherless 
findeth mercy." To which his gracious answer is, 
"I will heal their backslidings and love them freely; 
for my anger is turned away from him. I will be 
as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily, 
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches 
shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive- 
tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell 
under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as 
the corn, and grow as the vine. The scent thereof 
shall be as the cedars of Lebanon; and Ephraim 
shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?" 



SEKMON XXVI. 



THE BLESSEDNESS OF TRUSTING IN GOD. 



Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. — Psa. ii. 12. 

That this psalm relates to the Messiah is admitted 
by Jews as well as Christians. Whether it has 
a primary respect to David and the establishment 
of his kingdom on Mount Zion, or should be 
entirely referred to Messiah, is a point on which 
expositors are not agreed ; and it is not a matter of 
so much importance, as to render it necessary for 
us to discuss it in this place. That it does contain 
an important prediction of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
does not rest on the interpretation of fallible men ; 
but is expressly decided by the authority of divine 
inspiration. " The kings of the earth set them- 
selves, and the rulers took counsel together against 
the Lord and his anointed," This passage is 
quoted and expressly applied to Christ by the 
whole college of apostles, after they had received 
the plenary inspiration of the Holy Spirit, on the 
day of Pentecost. For upon hearing the report of 
Peter and John, who had been arraigned before the 

391 



392 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

sanhedrim, the apostles all broke out in praise to 
God, saying, " Lord, thou art God, which hast 
made heaven and earth and the sea, and all 
that in them is ; who by the mouth of thy servant 
David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and 
the people imagine vain things ? For of a truth, 
against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast 
anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the 
Gentiles and people of Israel, were gathered to- 
gether, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy 
counsel determined before to be done." (Acts iv. 
24—28.) 

In regard to the remarkable declaration, " This 
day have I begotten thee;" the apostle Paul assures 
us, that such an address was never made to the 
highest of created angels. There is but one to 
whom it could with propriety be made; and by 
orthodox commentators it has, from time immemo- 
rial, been supposed to have respect to the eternal 
generation of the Son; for the expression " this 
day" is not to be taken as having reference to any 
particular day, but as relating to a perpetuity of 
duration. 

Paul, in his discourse delivered in Antioch, in 
Pisidia, applies this declaration to the resurrection 
of Christ, saying, " We declare unto you glad 
tidings, how that the promise which was made unto 
the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us 
their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus 
again, as it is written in the second Psalm, " Thou 
art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." It 
cannot be supposed by any, that Christ was not 
truly the Son of God, before his resurrection ; there- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 393 

fore the meaning must be that by the resurrection, 
Jesus was manifested to be the Son of God ; just as 
he was by being born of the Virgin by the power 
of the Holy Ghost. The exhortation to " kiss the 
Son" — and the benediction on all who trust in him, 
can refer to no other but the Son of God. We are 
never, in Scripture, exhorted to trust in any mere 
creature, however exalted. On the contrary, a 
curse is denounced on every one " who trusteth in 
man, and maketh flesh his arm." This portion of 
the Psalm, therefore, can have no application to 
David or Solomon, but must refer solely to the 
Messiah who is the eternally begotten Son of God. 

The act of trust is so familiar to all, that it 
requires no explanation. Even children know 
what is meant by trust in any one. Two things 
are always implied in trusting ; the first is a con- 
viction of need, and sense of dependence. He who 
needs nothing, will, of course, not trust to another 
for what he has in himself; and he who, though 
destitute, is not sensible of his need, will never be 
induced to trust in another 

The second thing implied in the act of trust is, 
a persuasion of the good-will, ability, and fidelity 
of the person in whom we trust. A child in 
danger, will fly to the arms of its father with confi- 
dence, but will not trust to another child, however 
affectionate ; because it is not persuaded of its 
ability to protect it. Neither would a child trust 
to an entire stranger, as having no assurance of his 
good-will ; nor would it fly to the arms of one, by 
whom it had often been deceived. 

The exercise of a saving faith is not more fre- 

50 



394 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

ly expressed by any term than by trust. Indeed, 
whenever we believe in a promise of any one ; that 
is, when we are fully persuaded of the truth of a 
promise, that act of faith is properly termed, trust. 

Man is so dependent on Providence for the com- 
mon blessings of this life, that trust in God for 
these, is the state of mind which is becoming. 
For, although we procure many temporal blessings 
by the instrumentality of our own faculties, or the 
labour of our hands ; yet these blessings are as 
really the gifts of our heavenly Father as if we 
used no means whatever; for without the blessing 
of God, all our toil and ingenuity would effect 
nothing. " Except the Lord build the house, they 
labour in vain that build it." God is the " Father 
of lights from whom cometh down every good and 
perfect gift." This dependence on God, we should 
feel in relation to all our efforts to procure common 
blessings ; and not only feel it, but openly acknow- 
ledge it, when we partake of the common bounties 
of divine Providence. 

But, in regard to spiritual and eternal blessings, 
our dependence is still greater ; for man has already 
lost the favour of God, and has fallen under his 
dreadful curse. Man is also sunk deeply into a 
state of depravity. He has lost all true knowledge 
of God his Creator ; and is not only a miserable, 
but a helpless creature. He is unable, by any 
sufferings which he can endure, to expiate the 
smallest of his sins. He is unable to vivify his 
dead soul, or to bring back life into his benumbed 
faculties. If his salvation depended on it, he could 
not cause his heart to go forth in love to God, or 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 395 

cease the undue exercise of self-love and love to the 
creature. " The carnal mind is not subject to the 
law of God, neither indeed can be." But this 
inability of the heart and will is so far from furnish- 
ing any excuse to the sinner, that it is the chief 
ground of his criminality. "What ! a heart so 
depraved that nothing can induce it to reverence 
and love its Creator ! Will any one dare to plead 
the possession of such a heart, as a reason why he 
should not be punished when arraigned at the 
tribunal of God ? Man, in his natural state, is 
also blind and ignorant. Some, like the Pharisees 
of old, will be ready to ask, " What ! are we blind 
also ?" Yes, all are blind, however acute their 
intellect, however stored with human learning their 
minds. " The natural man receive th not the things 
of the Spirit of God ; they are foolishness to him ; 
neither can he know them, because they are spirit- 
ually discerned." (1 Cor. ii. 14.) 

Here, then, is a threefold misery common to all the 
children of Adam — blindness, deadness, and guilt ; 
and to qualify himself as a physician to cure the 
threefold malady, Christ has assumed as Mediator, a 
threefold office, viz. of a prophet, of a priest, and of a 
king ; and in this threefold office, the sinner must 
trust in him for salvation. But it may be alleged, 
that this misery of man is merely imaginary ; 
that the majority of men are in a good moral con- 
dition, and behave as well as could be expected in 
the circumstances in which they are placed. It is 
admitted that all are not equally abandoned in 
iniquity. It is admitted, that many maintain a 
decent outward appearance. It is admitted that 



396 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

many are strict in the observance of rites and forms 
in religion ; and show themselves to be of the same 
spirit as the Pharisees of old. And it is evident 
that few among men seem to have any particular 
conviction of the miseries which have been men- 
tioned. But this blindness and insensibility are 
rather aggravations of their misery, than allevia- 
tions. Indeed, this stupidity respecting spiritual 
concerns and eternal interests is the very worst 
symptom of their desperate disease. If they were 
sensible of their sins, if they lamented their blind- 
ness, if they were crying out, " What must I do to 
be delivered from this dreadful curse?" there would 
be some hope of them ; but as long as this state of 
blindness and insensibility remains, there is no 
hope ; for they never can be induced, in this state, 
to apply the only remedy; which remedy is of that 
nature, that it must be apprehended and appropri- 
ated by the rational mind. " They that are whole 
need not a physician, but they that are sick." 
Christ says, " I came not to call the righteous, but 
sinners to repentance." 

If you saw, in a public prison, a number of crimi- 
nals under sentence of condemnation to suffer 
capital punishment, and should observe some of the 
number indulging in singing and dancing, and 
every species of mirth and levity, and using all 
their influence to bring their companions into the 
same temper, would you call these happy ? Would 
any man in his senses envy such happiness as this ? 
On the contrary, would not all be shocked at this 
most unseasonable and reckless levity? And if 
obliged to choose between this state of mind, and 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 397 

that of those who were cast down and mourning 
their unhappy lot, who would not prefer the condi- 
tion of the latter ? 

All men need a refuge to which they may flee 
for safety ; and happy are they who have been so 
made sensible of their danger and misery, that they 
are anxiously seeking a place of safety. Their 
case is urgent — their danger is imminent — the 
misery which awaits them is inconceivably great, 
and they are utterly helpless in themselves, and 
unable to extricate themselves from their miserable 
circumstances, or to ward off the threatening danger 
which is ready to burst on their guilty heads. And 
as they cannot escape by their own wisdom or 
power, so no other creature has ability to rescue 
them from ruin. Whither, then, shall they turn ? 
to whom shall they apply for help and deliverance ? 
The only one who has power to save them is the 
Person whom they have offended, and whose dis- 
pleasure they have incurred — the very Person who 
holds in his hand upraised the sword of vindicatory 
justice, ready to strike the sinner dead. " The 
Judge of all the earth will do right." And it is 
right to inflict condign punishment on impenitent 
sinners, who have long rejected the gracious offers 
of reconciliation. Where then is there any hope 
for the sinner, justly condemned by the law of his 
God? No where, but in the gospel of salvation. 
Here, and here alone, is there a door of hope open 
for the guilty. Sin cannot escape punishment in 
the just government of a holy God. He says, " I 
will by no means clear the guilty." " Surely, O 
Lord, thou wilt slay the wicked." But blessed be 



398 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

God, sin may be punished in an adequate substi- 
tute. It has been punished in our divine Surety ; 
for " he was wounded for our transgressions; he was 
bruised for our iniquities." " He was made a curse 
for us to redeem us from the curse of the law." 
"Our iniquities w r ere laid upon him." The satis- 
faction is complete. It is of infinite value. It is 
impossible that any sins should be of such heinous 
guilt, that the application of the blood of Jesus will 
not cleanse it. " Though your sins be as scarlet, 
they shall be white as snow ; though they be red 
like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isa. i. 18.) 

Jesus of Nazareth is revealed as the true Messiah, 
God's Anointed, the King of Zion — the only true 
High Priest, after the order of Melchisedec, and 
the prophet of Israel of whom all God's people are 
taught. He is the Saviour of the world ; and " there 
is no other name given under heaven, whereby we 
must be saved." " Kiss the Son lest he be angry, 
and ye perish from the w T ay, when his wrath is 
kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put 
their trust in him." 

Trust in the Redeemer supposes that he has 
manifested, in some way, a willingness to save us. 
In order that trust have a firm foundation, it is 
requisite that there should be, not only a gene- 
ral expression of benevolence and good-will, but 
explicit promises of relief. And such promises are 
especially necessary in the case of the sinner ; for 
he can with difficulty be convinced, that there can 
be any salvation for one so vile as he now sees him- 
self to be. Therefore we find the gospel full of 
kind invitations and gracious promises to all who 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 399 

will come unto him and receive salvation as a 
free gift. These are the glad tidings by which so 
many wounded spirits have been healed and com- 
forted. The convinced sinner, (for no other can 
trust in the Redeemer,) finding every other refuge 
to be false, and every other arm to be weak, has, at 
length, his attention turned to a crucified Saviour. 
He hears words of mercy and kindness, but at first 
he cannot believe that they are addressed to him. 
He thinks this good news is for others less vile than 
himself. He imagines, if in some way, by prayers, 
tears, or penances, he could purify his heart, or 
even get it softened to some degree of tenderness, 
Christ might receive him ; but he cannot easily be 
persuaded, that he will be welcomed in his present 
wretched state of mind. He, therefore, is kept 
back by his unbelieving fears, and by what has the 
semblance of humility, and sees not the evil of 
refusing to believe the words of Christ, by which 
he virtually makes him a liar. He delays — he 
strives — he prays and fasts — and finally, almost 
despairs ; for these efforts seem to have the effect 
of driving him further from salvation than before. 
He concludes, therefore, that he may as well give 
over seeking, as now he is sensible of his utter 
impotence. But in this dark, distressful hour, 
when he nearly depairs of mercy, he is surprised 
by a view of the way of reconciliation. Christ 
appears both able and willing to save him ; and 
he sees how God can be just, and yet justify 
him through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 
Every thing appears so plain, that he wonders 
he never saw it before — so plain, that he feels 



400 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

confident, that he could cause any one to under- 
stand it. 

But the first views of faith are not always so clear ; 
more commonly, the first light is like that of the dawn 
of day, which gradually increases. Often the con- 
vinced, discouraged sinner is first made to see the 
fulness of Christ ; and whereas before he feared that 
his sins were too great to be pardoned, he is now 
brought to believe, " He is able to save — to save to 
the uttermost, all who come unto God by him." 
And even this is like life from the dead, to a sinner 
on the borders of despair. Here is a real exercise 
of faith, while the believing soul entertains as yet 
no persuasion of being in the favour of God — an 
evidence that such a persuasion is not of the essence 
of faith. But when the view of the way of salva- 
tion is at first clear, or whenever it becomes clear, 
nothing fills the soul with greater wonder, and 
gratitude at the same time, than that Christ is 
waiting to receive sinners in all their guilt and 
vileness — yea, to receive them just as they are ; 
not only without, merit, but without preparation ; 
and that he undertakes to do the whole work of 
their salvation, gratuitously. 

Now he begins to know, by experience, what it 
is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he 
willingly commits his soul into his hands, in confi- 
dence that he will keep it safely. He trusts in him 
for pardon and justification; and this he can do 
without hesitation, for he sees that he hath borne 
our sins, and hath become the end of the law for 
righteousness to every one that believeth. He 
trusts in him also, for divine teaching; knowing 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 401 

that by bis Spirit, bis people are all taught of God, 
and led into the knowledge of all necessary truth. 
He trusts in him for complete deliverance from inhe- 
rent corruption, and from the power of the grave. 
In short, he trusts in him as his complete and 
eternal Saviour, who, through his love and through 
his merit, will bring him off conqueror and more 
than conqueror. He is satisfied with the Redeemer 
in all his offices, and in all his mediatorial work. 
The language of his heart is, " He hath done all 
things well." When the soul, under the influence 
of the Holy Spirit, is led to view Christ as " the 
way, the truth, and the life," it is a very common 
experience, to have precious promises brought 
successively into view. They come dropping into 
the soul, as honey from the comb ; or rather as the 
manna from heaven. Sometimes, however, the 
soul is absorbed in the contemplation of the truth, 
contained in a single text, for there are incomprehen- 
sible riches in the word of God ; so that often, the 
whole plan of salvation is suggested by a single 
passage of Holy Scripture. All we need is, to 
have the illumination of the Spirit to accompany 
the reading or preaching of the word, to cause us 
to see wonderful things in texts which had often 
been heard or read without emotion ; and in the 
contemplation of them the mind is filled with un- 
speakable joy. Now the enlightened soul has no 
need of arguments to convince it that the Scrip- 
tures are indeed the word of God. This is evident 
from the excellence which is seen in them. And 
as the light of day reveals to us as the most con- 
spicuous and glorious object in the visible heavens, 

51 



402 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the sun shining in his strength; so the light of 
divine truth reveals Christ " the Sun of righteous- 
ness," as the most glorious object of contemplation; 
for it is in his face that the glory of God is mani- 
fested. " He is the brightness of his glory, and 
the express image of his Person." (Heb. i. 3.) 

The soul which has thus been raised from the 
horrible pit and miry clay of natural corruption 
and condemnation, and is established on the rock 
of ages, has a new song put into his mouth, even 
praise for salvation. He can now rejoice in God — 
in his existence — his attributes — his Providence — 
his redeeming love in Christ, in all his glorious 
work of redemption — in the promise of God — in the 
means of grace, and in the hope of glory ! 

They who have once found Christ, and trusted 
in him, however they may be tossed with tempta- 
tion, or distressed by doubts of their acceptance, 
never think of any other refuge but Christ — they 
never attempt to build on any other foundation, 
They show themselves to be his, by their trusting 
in him, even when they walk in darkness, and have 
no light. The more violent the storm by which 
they are assailed the more tenaciously do they 
adhere to the rock of their salvation. And when 
oppressed with a painful conviction of unfaithful- 
ness and short-coming, in the service of Christ, no 
ease, no peace is experienced, until they come anew 
to the cross, and by faith obtain a fresh sprinkling 
of the blood of reconciliation. The blood of Christ 
is the only balm for a soul wounded with a sense 
of sin. As to his own best works, instead of plead- 
ing them as a ground of pardon, or a reason for 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 403 

acceptance, he is ashamed of them in the sight of 
God, and continually prays, that their imperfection 
may not be charged upon him. Still he feels thank- 
ful to God that he has given him a heart to delight 
in his law after the inner man, to hunger and thirst 
after righteousness, and to aim at the glory of God, 
and the advancement of the Redeemers kingdom. 
He is thankful for every evidence which he has of 
being renewed in the spirit of his mind ; for he 
knows that if he is a new creature, it is altogether 
owing to grace. Though the past sins of believers 
are forgiven, yet he needs fresh forgiveness every 
day and every hour. But when he sins he has 
an Advocate with the Father, whose propitiation has 
merit to take away all iniquity. There is no 
ground of confidence more satisfactory to the soul 
than the intercession of Christ. Thousands of 
trembling souls have trusted in that one declaration, 
and have found peace — " He is able to save to the 
uttermost, all that come unto God by him, seeing 
he ever liveth to make intercession for them." 
Having a great High Priest to appear in the 
presence of God for them, they can come with 
boldness to the throne of grace, that they may obtain 
mercy and find grace to help in every time of 
need." 

The believer also trusts in Christ for future help 
and future good. He relies upon him for guidance 
in the way of truth and duty — he depends on him 
for strength to enable him to encounter all enemies, 
to endure all afflictions, and to perform the most 
arduous duties. And as he must, in his pilgrimage 
to heaven, pass the valley of the shadow of death, 



404 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

he relies upon the faithful word of the great 
Shepherd, that he will be present to drive away all 
fear and all distress. And, in regard to bodily 
want, there is no ground for anxiety, because he 
hath said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake 
thee." 

Finally, the true believer trusts in Christ, that 
when this earthly pilgrimage is finished, he will 
have administered unto him an abundant entrance 
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ. On this point, the promises 
of God are clear and abundant. Christ says, " In 
my Father's house are many mansions." " I go," 
says he, "to prepare a place for you." Again, 
" Father, it is my will that where I am, there they 
also may be, that they may behold my glory, which 
I had with thee before the world began." " Fear 
not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to 
give you the kingdom." And at the last day he 
will say to every one of them, " Come, ye blessed 
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for 
you from the foundation of the world." "And 
these shall go into life eternal." 

They trust also, that these mortal bodies shall be 
raised from the grave, incorruptible and undying, 
and fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body. 
Christ is the resurrection and the life, and as in 
Adam all die, so in Christ shall all believers be 
made alive. 

III. We need not dwell long on the blessedness 
of those who trust in the Redeemer, for this has 
been in some measure anticipated in what has 
already been said. It may, however, be useful to 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 405 

make a distinct mention of the blessings which 
belong to such. 

1. They have received the forgiveness of sin, and 
have an assurance that they shall never again come 
into condemnation. " There is no condemnation 
to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not 
after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 

2. They have the indwelling of the Spirit of God, 
which secures their continuance in a state of grace, 
and enables them to grow in grace and in the 
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ — 
" to die unto sin and to live unto righteousness." 
If believers were left to themselves, their conver- 
sion would be of little value, for they would soon 
be overcome by their spiritual enemies, and their 
last state would be worse than the first. 

3. It is a part of the blessedness of believers, 
that they are the special care of divine Providence. 
All things work for their good. The very hairs 
of their head are numbered. Their afflictions are 
fatherly chastisements, which shall work for them 
the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Yea, these 
light afflictions which are but for a moment, work 
out for them an exceeding great and eternal weight 
of glory. Even death itself is reckoned in the 
catalogue of blessings. Not only are Paul and 
Apollos and Cephas, and things present and things 
to come, theirs, and life — but death also. The 
sting of them is extracted, for the sting of death is 
sin, and the strength of sin is the law ; but when 
the law is satisfied and sin pardoned, then the sting 
is taken away. 

4. They who put their trust in God are blessed, 



406 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

because they enjoy inward peace. They have 
peace with God, peace of conscience, peace from 
the jarring elements of corrupt passions. They 
look forward to an inheritance incorruptible, unde- 
nted, and that fadeth not away. Hope that maketh 
not ashamed, is the anchor of their souls in all the 
storms of life. 

5. When they leave the world they shall be 
blessed in the open vision of God's glory; for they 
shall see no more darkly as through a glass, but 
face to face. They shall know as they are known. 
They shall be perfectly cleansed from the pollutions 
of sin, and when they shall see the Saviour, they 
shall be like him, for they shall see him as he is. 
Glorious state of complete felicity ! Blessed indeed 
are all they who have a part in the inheritance of 
the saints in light. 



SERMON XXVII. 



faith's victory over the world. 



And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.— 
1 John v. 4. 



The conquest of the world may be considered the 
highest object of human ambition. In different 
ages, a few great heroes extended their conquests 
so far, and brought under their dominion so many 
countries and nations, that, in the language of 
eulogy, they have been styled the conquerors of 
the world. But if it were possible for any man 
literally to gain possession of the whole world, still 
he would be poor ; the acquisition would be of little 
real value, and he would remain as unsatisfied as 
before. Indeed, it is reported of one who came as 
near the dominion of the known world as any other, 
that when he had completed his conquests, he sat 
down and wept, because there was not another 
world to conquer. It is a truth taught by all expe- 
rience, that in no form and in no quantity can this 
world be a satisfying portion to the immortal mind, 
which was made for enjoyments of a far nobler 

407 



408 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

kind. It would, therefore, be a real benefit to man- 
kind to be cured of their insatiable thirst after 
worldly possessions, and to have their attention 
directed to objects of a more excellent and durable 
nature. Now this is the very design of true 
religion, which it accomplishes, in some good 
degree, for all those who sincerely embrace it. 
But we cannot renounce the world as a portion, 
without incurring its displeasure. " If ye were of 
the world, the world would love his own; but 
because I have chosen you out of the world, there- 
fore the world hateth you." And this enmity is 
not inoperative. The opposition which exists 
between the spirit of the world, and the spirit of 
true religion must produce a conflict ; for Christians 
and men of the world not only mingle together in 
the same society, but are often connected by the 
ties of kindred and relationship. Hence it has 
come to pass, in all ages, that Christianity has been 
the occasion of enkindling the flames of strife 
between the members of the same household. And 
although its natural tendency is to produce peace 
and good- will among men; yet, agreeably to Christ's 
prediction, it has brought " a sword.' 7 " For I am 
come," said the Saviour, " to set a man at variance 
against his father, and the daughter against her 
mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother- 
in-law; and a man's foes shall be they of his own 
household." The world which lieth in wicked- 
ness, is at enmity with God. It is under the 
usurped authority of the prince of darkness, who 
is therefore called, "the God of this world." 
Those, therefore, who come out from the world, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 409 

and imbibe a different spirit, will be treated as 
deserters, and will meet with persecution in one 
form or another. In this contest, if you count the 
apparent numbers, there is a fearful odds in favour 
of the world, and against the Christian soldier ; but 
if your eyes should be opened, like those of the 
servant of the prophet, like him, you will be ready 
to exclaim, " They that be with us are more than 
they that be with them." He who has enlisted 
under the banner of the Captain of salvation, may 
boldly say, " If God be for us, who can be against 
us?" 

The circumstances of this spiritual warfare vary 
exceedingly with the condition of the world, and 
of each individual. Sometimes the battle is fierce 
and dreadful ; while, at other times, there is the 
appearance of a truce. This, however, is always 
a deceitful appearance. On the part of the enemy 
there never is any real cessation of hostility; and 
on the part of the Christian there should be none. 
And if, at any time, from the delusive appearance 
of peace, he should remit his vigilance, and fall into 
the sleep of carnal security, he will be exposed to 
the most imminent danger; his spiritual welfare 
will be placed in the utmost peril. 

This contest, though " by poets unsung, and by 
senators unpraised," is the most important in its 
results, of any which was ever carried on in this 
world. It will, therefore, be worth our while to 
take a nearer view of it, and to inquire how the 
world opposes the Christian, and how the Christian 
gains a victory over the world. 

A victory implies a conflict, and a conflict sup- 

52 



410 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

poses an enemy. This enemy, as we have seen, is 
the world. In the sacred Scriptures, the word 
world is used in various senses. Here, it must 
be taken to signify that complex idea, made up 
of the men of the world, with all their sentiments, 
maxims, plans, and pursuits, and the things of 
the world, including every object which can, in 
any way, become a temptation or an obstacle to 
the Christian pilgrim, in his progress to the land of 
promise. 

The opposition of the world is of two kinds ; or 

it assumes two aspects, of a very opposite nature; 

and endeavours to stop or retard the believer by 

addressing two different classes of feedings, which 

appertain to human nature. The first is, an aspect 

of terror. It presents to him a formidable array of 

evils, which he must expect to meet with in the 

Christian course. It endeavours to alarm him, by 

holding out the prospect of losses to be sustained 

of things naturally desirable, of pains to be endured 

which are abhorrent to our nature, and does not 

merely threaten these evils, but actually inflicts 

them, in a very appalling and terrific form. Thus, 

when Christianity was first propagated in the world, 

it was met with the most determined and virulent 

opposition. Its professors were dragged before the 

judgment-seat of governors and kings. They were 

insulted and abused by the mob. They were 

" every where spoken against," and reputed to be 

"the offscouring of all things" — calumniated not 

only as the enemies of the human race, but as the 

enemies of the gods. They were beaten, scourged, 

imprisoned, tortured, thrown to the wild beasts in 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 411 

the theatre, and put to death by every species of 
torture which diabolical ingenuity could invent. 
And these scenes of persecution were not confined 
to one country or to one age. Wherever Christians 
were discovered, they were persecuted with unre- 
lenting severity, and punished with death merely 
because they bore the Christian name. During the 
greater part of three centuries, were these cruelties 
practised against the unoffending followers of 
Christ. Thousands, and tens of thousands, of 
every age, and of both sexes, were thus put to 
death ; not accepting deliverance, when by uttering 
a single word, or by a single act of worship to the 
false deities of the heathen, they could have saved 
their lives. And this spirit of opposition to the 
genuine spirit of Christianity has never been more 
malignant, than when it has been exercised under 
the name and profession of the religion of Christ. 
No pagan cruelties and tortures could exceed those 
practised in the Spanish Inquisition. Infidels have 
sometimes charged all these upon Christianity 
itself; but this is most unjust, as the precepts and 
spirit of this religion are diametrically opposed to 
all cruelty and to all persecution, on account of 
religion. When the world assumed the profession 
of Christianity, with the change of name, there was 
not, generally, a change of disposition. The two 
contending parties still existed within the pale of 
the church ; and the spirit of the world is not less 
malign, for being associated with hypocrisy. Christ's 
real sheep have ever been a little flock. The mul- 
titude, and especially those in power and authority, 
whatever name they may have assumed, have 



412 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

always been the enemies of the pure, spiritual reli- 
gion of the gospel. 

But the days of fierce and violent persecution 
have gone by — we hope, for ever. Even those 
who retain and cherish the spirit of persecution are 
ashamed to avow their true principles; and find it 
to be the best policy, in this age, to profess liberali- 
ty. Christians are, therefore, no longer subjected 
to imprisonment and death, on account of their 
adherence to the gospel. But has the offence of 
the cross really ceased? Is no hostility to true 
religion felt by the world? Far from it. They 
that are righteous are still hated by those whose 
deeds are evil. They that are after the flesh, are 
still disposed to persecute those that walk after the 
Spirit. There never can be a sincere peace between 
the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. 
True godliness is still hated by the world; and 
they who live godly in Christ Jesus, do still suffer 
persecution. The spirit of the world is the same 
as formerly, but the mode of attack is changed. 
Or rather, the providence of God has put a restraint 
on the wicked ; and they now pursue the righteous 
with weapons of scorn, ridicule, and calumny. The 
w r ar is not terminated ; the contest is still going on, 
and will not cease as long as there is a world of 
carnal men. 

There is, indeed, a fashionable kind of religion, 
against which the world feels no enmity; a religion 
which makes a compromise with the world, con- 
nives at its vices and follies, and shuns all serious- 
ness of spirit, and strictness of behaviour. But 
this is, in fact, no other than the spirit of the world 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 413 

in disguise. Many professors of religion meet with 
no opposition from the world, because they are of 
the world, and the world will love its own. And 
the men of the world, who are wiser in their gene- 
ration than the children of light, are sagacious in 
discovering their friends, under whatever disguise 
they may appear. Indeed, false professors often 
manifest a more bitter enmity to true religion, than 
the openly profane ; so that there is no difficulty in 
discerning what manner of spirit they are of. Such 
have no contest with the world. Their controversy 
is with the genuine spirit of Christianity, which 
they are wont to malign as narrow, illiberal, bigoted, 
and inimical to human happiness and to elegant 
improvements in society. These pretend to have 
discovered an easier way to heaven, than that old 
thorny path of self-denial and devotion, designated 
by the example and precepts of Christ. They do, 
indeed, avoid the offence of the cross, and forsake 
no earthly honour or enjoyment for the kingdom of 
heaven. But let any one be in good earnest in 
matters of religion, and be influenced by its truths, 
in some proportion to their importance. Let him 
turn off his affections from the world, and no longer 
seek his chief happiness in its riches, honours, and 
pleasures. Let him turn his back on its fashionable 
amusements and convivial entertainments, and let 
him lead a life in exact conformity with the pre- 
cepts of the gospel, however contrary to the fashions 
and maxims of the world, and he will soon learn 
from experience, that the world has not become *he 
friend of genuine piety; and that it is still true, 
that he who will be the friend of the world is the 



414 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

enemy of God. Parents often oppose their own 
children, and do all they can to hinder them from 
becoming religious ; and husbands throw obstacles 
in the way of their wives, or wives of their husbands. 
The old companions of sincere converts treat them 
with neglect, and soon show that their affections 
are alienated ; and sometimes, manifest their scorn 
and contempt by signs not to be misinterpreted. 
And he does not need a long time to learn, that 
spiritual religion is no favourite with the men of 
this world. 

There is another aspect which the world assumes, 
in regard to religion. It does not always frown, 
but sometimes insidiously smiles. The aspect of 
terror which we have been considering, may pro- 
duce dismay, but the danger menaced is, in that 
case, always manifest. But when she comes forth 
with all the blandishments of pleasure ; or when, 
with the language of friendship, she soothes and 
caresses, and pours forth her strains of adulation, 
and heaps favours on the head of her intended 
victim, and with her syren voice incites to the 
enjoyment of sensual pleasure, then is the time of 
trial. These are the temptations which are more 
dangerous than fires and gibbets. And the danger 
is greater because it does not appear to be danger. 
No apprehensions are awakened. Prosperity and 
indulgence are naturally agreeable to every one. 
"When the senses and appetites are addressed by 
baits suited to them, and no gross sins are proposed, 
but merely a life of elegant — and as they are called 
— innocent delights, the unsuspicious soul is thrown 
off its guard, and forgets to watch and pray against 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 415 

temptation ; and before she is aware, is ensnared in 
some forbidden indulgence, or is lulled into a sleep 
of carnal security. The cup of worldly pleasure is 
always inebriating. It may be sweet to the taste, 
and exhilarating to the spirits, but its ultimate 
effects are deleterious. The soul of the Christian 
is never in greater jeopardy, than when all things 
around it wear a smiling aspect. By the deceitful- 
ness of riches, many high professors have been 
brought low in religion. While they hasted to be 
rich, they pierced themselves through with many 
sorrows, and fell into temptation and a snare, and 
into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown 
men in destruction and perdition. " For the love 
of money is the root of all evil." Thus fell Judas, 
Ananias, and Sapphira. Thus fell Demas, a com- 
panion of Paul, and a preacher of the gospel. In 
like manner, the honours of the world and the 
ambition of power and office, have been a snare to 
many. They cannot believe, while they prefer the 
honour that comes from men to that which comes 
from God. They who love the praise of men more 
than the praise of God, will be ashamed of the 
gospel of Christ, and will never confess his name 
before an ungodly and scoffing world. 

But in no way does the world oppose the Chris- 
tian more successfully, than by alluring him with 
the prospect of ease and pleasure. On this 
enchanted ground many have slept, and many 
have slidden back and fallen, so that ever after- 
wards, they have limped along on their pilgrimage, 
with broken bones. On this slippery ground, the 
" man after God's own heart," met with a sad and 



416 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

disgraceful fall, on account of which the mouths of 
the enemies of religion were opened to blaspheme 
and do so to this day. And on this same deceitful 
ground, thousands besides, have been overcome for 
a season, and others have fallen to rise no more 
At this point, the world is powerful, and the best 
of men left to themselves, are weak. Indeed, few 
who have set their faces Zionward, have escaped 
unhurt, in passing over this enchanted ground. 
Young Christians should take warning from the 
experience of those who have gone before them, and 
not foolishly confide in their own wisdom and 
strength. But all should be strong in the Lord, 
and in the power of his might, and never cease to 
watch and pray. 

II. Having shown how the world opposes the 
Christian, we come next to explain how the Chris- 
tian gains the victory. " And this is the victory 
that overcometh the world, even our faith." The 
faith to which this victory is ascribed is not that 
historical or speculative faith, which nearly all 
persons in Christian countries possess, and which 
is the effect of education. This faith, in its origin, 
does not differ from the faith of heathens and 
Mohammedans, and in its effects, is powerless. 
Such a faith never, in any case, overcomes the 
world ; for it is dead and unfruitful. The apostle 
is careful to let us know, that the faith of which he 
speaks, is the fruit of regenerating grace, the act 
of the renewed soul ; for in the first clause of the 
verse, from which our text is taken, he says, " For, 
whosoever is born of God overcometh the world.' 
None achieve this great victory, but souls "born 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 417 

of God;" for none beside possess a true faith. 
Some may allege, that their faith is not the mere 
prejudice of education, but the result of a thorough 
and impartial examination of the evidences of 
divine revelation. To such it is still necessary to 
insist, that though their faith is rational, as being 
founded on good and solid reasons, yet it comes 
far short of a saving faith. The faith under con- 
sideration, requires no new birth to produce it ; it is 
merely the offspring of man's reason. But it may 
be asked, In what respect is it defective ? If the 
reasons on which it is built are sound, and the 
assent unwavering, what could be added to it ? To 
which it may be briefly answered, that we may 
have convincing evidence of the truth of a thing, 
while this evidence does not present the object 
itself in its true light. But when our faith pro- 
duces an effect, it arises from the nature of the truth 
believed. No evidence of gospel truth gives to the 
mind a discernment of the true quality of spiritual 
objects, but the illumination of the Spirit. " The 
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit 
of God ; they are foolishness unto him, neither can 
he know them, because they are spiritually dis- 
cerned." Genuine faith is a conviction, or full 
persuasion of the truth, produced by the illumina- 
tion of the Holy Spirit. The evidence on which 
this faith is founded, being the beauty and excel- 
lence of the truth perceived, cannot but be opera- 
tive ; for it is impossible that the rational mind should 
see an object to be lovely, and not love it. Such 
a faith must, therefore, " work by love and purify 
the heart." and be fruitful of good works. This 

53 



418 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

view of saving faith agrees with Paul's definition 
" Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the 
evidence of things not seen." Faith, if I may be 
allowed the expression, is the eye of the soul by 
which it looks into the spiritual world, and realizes 
future and eternal things. The Scriptures con- 
stantly testify, that all ungodly men are destitute 
of the true knowledge of God. They may perceive 
the mere verity and relative connexion of divine 
truth, but the beauty and glory of the truth, they 
see not. Just as a blind man may be convinced by 
feeling and by testimony of the reality of the exist- 
ence of the sun, but he can form no idea of this 
celestial luminary in its glory, as he runs his daily 
race through the heavens. 

There is a wide and real distinction between 
merely intellectual ideas of divine things and 
those which are spiritual. The unregenerate man 
may be endowed with a powerful intellect, and he 
may exercise his reasoning powers on divine truth, 
and may draw just conclusions respecting them ; 
but he can never by the mere exercise of reason 
attain to spiritual ideas, any more than the man 
born blind can attain to the knowledge of light and 
colours, by logical reasoning ; or the deaf mute 
attain to the correct idea of sounds in some other 
way. The weakest Christian, even the mere child, 
by the illumination of the Spirit, possesses a species 
of knowledge, to which the philosopher can never 
attain, by the utmost exertion of unassisted reason. 
And this knowledge is far more excellent, than that 
of any human science, however sublime or useful. 
From the foregoing view of the nature of faith, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 419 

it will not be difficult to understand how it over- 
comes the world. It will only be necessary to 
bring to view two principles, to account for the 
power of faith, by which it achieves this great 
victory. The first is, that our estimation of the 
value of objects is always comparative. The child 
knows nothing which it esteems more valuable than 
its toys ; but when this child rises to maturity, and 
the interesting objects of real life are presented to 
it, the trifling baubles which engaged the affections 
in childhood, are now utterly disregarded, and 
considered unworthy of a moment's thought. 

Again, suppose a person in a low and obscure 
condition, whose mind has been occupied with 
small concerns and trivial objects, to have suddenly 
presented to him the prospect of great wealth and 
distinction — or say, a kingdom ; how quickly would 
such a man lose all his former estimation of his 
little cottage and his implements of industry ! His 
mind would now be completely absorbed in the 
contemplation and pursuit of those more splendid 
objects, which glitter in his sight. Just so, by 
means of faith, objects infinitely more valuable and 
interesting, than any which this world contains, 
are presented to the mind in their true character. 
Upon the view of these things, the affections relin- 
quish their hold of earthly things, and however 
strong the grasp by which they were embraced, 
they are now voluntarily resigned for the sake of 
those more excellent things which faith reveals to 
the soul. With these objects full in view, the glory 
of this world fades away, and all its grandest objects 
appear trivial, and little worthy of the pursuit of 



420 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

a rational and immortal mind. The riches, hon- 
ours, and pleasures of the world, are to the person 
in the exercise of faith, like the toys of children to 
the man of mature age. He cannot be persuaded 
to give his affections to sublunary objects, who is 
persuaded that an exceeding and eternal weight 
of glory is within his reach. Such an one will 
cheerfully part with an earthly portion, for the sake 
of a heavenly inheritance. The world may frown 
upon him, may brand with folly his new pursuit, 
may follow him with its obloquy and contempt, 
may endeavour to conquer his resolution by every 
species of torture, but it cannot shake, much 
less change his purpose. His language still is, 
" My heart is fixed, God, my heart is fixed." 
Even though his enemies kill the body, his faith 
assures him that they cannot injure his better part. 
" Fear not," says Christ, " them that kill the body 
and have no more that they can do." Even while 
the body is on the rack, or in the flames, by faith 
he sees " a house not made with hands, eternal in 
the heavens." He sees his gracious and almighty 
Redeemer holding out to him a crown of life. He 
is assured that as soon as his soul leaves the body, 
it shall be with Christ in Paradise ; and that there 
is in heaven reserved for him "an inheritance 
among the saints in light, which is incorruptible, 
undefiled, and fadeth not away." Is it strange 
then, that with these views which a genuine faith 
affords, the Christian should be a conqueror over 
the world, in all the hostile forms which it may 
assume ? 

The other principle to which I alluded is this. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 421 

The true method of expelling from the soul, one 
set of affections, is to introduce others of a different 
nature, and of greater strength. The soul of man 
must have one governing affection, to which all 
others must yield. It is on this principle that 
Christ said, " Ye cannot serve two masters. Ye 
cannot serve God and mammon." Suppose a 
devotee of sensual pleasure to be suddenly seized 
with ambition, or avarice, in a very high degree. 
The effect would immediately be, that he would 
cease to seek happiness in the indulgence of bodily 
passions, and he would be led to pursue assiduous- 
ly the new object, whether honour or wealth, for 
which he now entertains an affection of paramount 
strength. Such changes have sometimes been 
observed in the history of men. But though 
changes of this kind are real, and great, and are 
hailed by many as a great reformation ; yet there 
is really no moral change. It is but the substitu- 
tion of one vicious affection for another. But when 
faith comes into operation, and love to God becomes 
the predominant affection, there is not only a great 
change, but a moral transformation of the soul, from 
the sinful love of the creature, to the holy love of 
the Creator. Now the world is conquered. Faith 
working by love has achieved the victory. The 
soul is restored to something of its pristine order 
and beauty. Light has arisen out of darkness, and 
order out of confusion. Verily, there is " a new 
creation." 

The believer can forsake not only riches and 
honours, but father and mother, wife and children, 
and life itself, for the sake of the honour of God his 



422 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Saviour. In vain does the world attempt to turn 
him aside by its terrors and persecutions ; by faith 
he triumphs over all the cruelties and indignities 
which she can heap upon him. And if she endea- 
vours to subdue him from his allegiance by spread- 
ing before him all her charms, her wealth, her 
honours, and fascinating pleasures, if faith be in 
lively exercise, all these will be spurned. Like 
Moses, the believer will prefer the cross of Christ 
to all the momentary pleasures of sin, and to all 
the treasures of Egypt. This power of faith to 
conquer is not a vain boast, but a practical reality. 
This victory has been achieved by multitudes, yea, 
by every true believer; and will continue to be 
achieved, as long as the world stands. 



INFERENCES. 

1. If what has been said be true, then we must 
conclude that genuine faith is rare in the world ; 
yea, rare among professors. For when we take a 
survey of the Christian world, how small the num- 
ber who seem to have gained a victory over the 
world ! The thirst for riches, honours, and plea- 
sures, is almost universal. By earthly passions the 
great multitude are subdued and enslaved. Still 
the words of our Lord are applicable, " Wide is the 
gate, and broad is the way which leadeth to 
destruction, and many there be which go in 
thereat; while strait is the gate and narrow is the 
way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that 
find it." O ! professing Christian, let go your too 
eager grasp of the world, or it will sink you to ruin. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 423 

Beware of covetousness, and remember that it is 
written, that covetousness is idolatry, and such 
shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven. Flee 
from idolatry, and seek that faith which is the 
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of 
things not seen. 

2. Let not the poor and afflicted in this world, 
who believe in Christ, be discouraged. You, my 
brethren, are placed in the circumstances most 
favourable to a victory over the world. Those 
fascinating temptations which have ensnared and 
ruined so many professors, are removed far from 
you. You should not repine at your poverty, for 
riches might have proved ruinous to your souls. 
And ye, who endure severe affliction, bear it with 
patience, and even be thankful for it, because 
" these light afflictions which are for a moment, 
work out for us a far more exceeding weight of 
glory." Soon all sense of pain shall cease for ever, 
and all our feelings of sorrow shall be swallowed 
up in never ending felicity. " Fight then the 
good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life." 
Henceforth there is laid up for you a crown of life, 
which God the righteous Judge will give you at 
that day. " Be faithful unto death," saith the Lord, 
" and I will give you a crown of life." 



SEEMON XXVIII 



THE BENEFITS OF AFFLICTION. 



It is good for me that I have been afflicted.— Psa. cxix. 71. 

" Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly 
upward." Manifold are the afflictions incident to 
humanity ; and from these the pious are not exempt. 
" Many are the afflictions of the righteous." Christ 
said to his disciples, " In the world ye shall have 
tribulation." The rich spiritual blessings to which 
believers have become heirs, are consistent with 
much suffering ; yea, the afflictions of the righteous 
are a part of their heritage. They are necessary, 
as a means, to their greatest improvement and 
happiness. Therefore, it is written, " Blessed is 
the man whom thou chastenest." "Behold, I have 
refined thee, but not with silver. I have chosen 
thee in the furnace of affliction." 

Let us, then, inquire what are the benefits 
which may be derived from affliction. 

1. Afflictions have often been made the means 
jf bringing careless and impenitent sinners to 
serious consideration, which leads them to repent- 
424 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 425 

ance, and a thorough reformation of life. This 
effect is produced by cutting off the person from 
his sinful indulgences. A spell of sickness, or a 
sore bereavement, interrupts the man in his course 
of worldly pursuits. It has a tendency to show 
him the unsubstantial nature of all earthly posses- 
sions and enjoyments. Under the pressure of afflic- 
tion, he feels his dependence. Pain urges him to 
seek relief; but human help is vain. When sorely 
distressed he begins to cry unto God. Multitudes 
now in heaven can say, " It is good for me that I was 
afflicted; for before I was afflicted, I went astray." 
We know, indeed, that affliction, like other means 
of grace, does not of itself produce any beneficial 
effect on those who are the subjects of it. It requires 
the influence of the Holy Spirit to render it effectual 
to the conviction and conversion of sinners. But 
its tendency is to lead to serious reflection and to a 
change of life ; and often, we believe, the Spirit of 
God does accompany his chastening rod, so that it 
is made the means of bringing men and women, 
not only to consideration, but to a repentance not 
to be repented of. One instance from Scripture is 
that of Manasseh. The case is very remarkable, on 
two accounts; first, because he was one of the 
greatest sinners who ever lived ; and secondly, he 
was an old man, when his conversion took place. 
The history of this event is found in 2 Chron. 
xxxiii. 12, 13; "Wherefore the Lord brought upon 
them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, 
who took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound 
him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And 
when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord 

54 



426 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

his God, and humbled himself greatly before the 
God of his fathers, and prayed unto him ; and he 
was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, 
and brought him again to Jerusalem, into his king- 
dom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was 
God." 

2. Afflictions are made eminently beneficial to 
the pious, by preventing them from fixing their 
affections unduly on earthly things. There is in 
all minds too strong a tendency to the things which 
are present and visible. These worldly objects 
become a snare to many, and by the too ardent 
pursuit of riches or honours, they become involved 
in many embarrassments, and often pierce them- 
selves through with many sorrows. A season of 
sore affliction, by preventing an inordinate attach- 
ment to the world, may be a real blessing. Or, 
when the affections are already placed too strongly 
on any earthly object, it is often the method of 
Providence to remove that object. Even the dear- 
est earthly relatives may become snares to the soul 
of the pilgrim. Children may be too much loved, 
in comparison of our Saviour, and if they are 
snatched away from the tender embrace of their 
parents, the discipline, though painful, is often 
salutary, and even necessary. When God thus 
disciplines his children, he causes them to see why 
he thus afflicts them; and commonly, they are 
enabled, after a while, to say, " It was good for me, 
that I was afflicted." For, although " no chastening 
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; 
yet afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of right- 
eousness unto them who are exercised thereby." 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 427 

3. As affliction is often employed to prevent the 
saints from wandering; so, also, it is the usual 
method by which backsliders are reclaimed. When 
Christians have considerably declined from the 
lively exercises of religion, they are but little 
affected by the warnings of the word. It is to them 
like a tale often told. They are asleep, and have 
only a dreamy notion of the realities of eternity. 
From this sleep of carnal security into which even 
the pious are liable to fall, they are commonly 
awakened by the application of the rod. Some 
severe dispensation of Providence overtakes them, 
and they are brought to a stand. Serious reflection 
is, as it were, forced upon them, and their eyes are 
opened to see how far they have wandered from 
the right path. By affliction the heart is softened, 
and the truths of the word now sink deep into the 
inmost soul. Deep contrition is produced, the soul 
lies humbled in the dust, under the chastising 
strokes of its Father in heaven. It mourns in 
bitterness over its folly and unfaithfulness, and 
writes bitter things against itself; scarcely believing 
that God can be reconciled to such an ungrateful 
wretch. And when he speaks in the language of 
loving-kindness, Return unto me, ye backsliding 
children, and I will heal your backslidings ; 
take unto you words and return unto the Lord ; 
say unto him, Take away all iniquity, heal our 
backslidings and love us freely, and let thine anger 
be turned away from us, the forgiving mercy 
of the Lord appears even more wonderful in receiv- 
ing the backslider on his return, than in his first 
conversion. At length convinced of the loving- 



428 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

kindness and tender mercy of the Lord, the peni- 
tent backslider responds to the kind invitation of 
the Lord, " Come, let us return unto the Lord ; for 
he hath torn and he will heal us ; he hath smitten, 
and he will bind us up." 

4. Affliction serves as a furnace to purge out the 
dross which still lurks in the regenerate heart. 
Just as the precious metals are separated from their 
dross, by being cast into the furnace heated seven 
times ; so the people of God are purified as by fire. 
But the furnace not only serves to purge out the 
dross, but to test the genuineness of the metal. 
Not every thing which glistens is gold, says the 
proverb. The ore must be tried in the fire, and if 
it contain pure gold, while the dross is consumed, 
the precious metal will shine forth brightly. Thus 
afflictions also answer the purpose of a test of the 
genuineness of our piety. If there be nothing in 
us that will stand the fire, then we may be certain 
that our religion is no better than a counterfeit. 
The apostle Peter makes a striking use of this 
similitude, when he says, " That the trial of your 
faith being much more precious than of gold that 
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be 
found unto praise and honour and glory, at the 
appearing of Jesus Christ." 

Affliction not only serves as a test to try the 
genuineness of our religion, but affords an oppor- 
tunity of exercising some of the most excellent 
graces of the pious heart. Faith, before it is tried, 
cannot certainly be known to be faith ; but when 
the dark cloud of adversity lowers over the soul, 
faith, when it has existence in the soul, comes forth 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 429 

with vigour, and supports the soul ready to sink, 
by laying hold of the promises of God. Submis- 
sion to the will of God has also an opportunity of 
being manifested. It is easy to say, " Thy will be 
done," while we bask in the sunshine of prosperity ; 
but when the pressure of affliction is sorely felt, 
there will be at first a struggle. Self-love makes 
us restive, and endeavours to throw off the 
burden ; but where there is a principle of piety, 
the soul after a short conflict bows in submission, 
and its language is, "It is the Lord, let him do 
what seemeth him good." Though a spirit of 
rebellion was felt, it is subdued, and the soul quietly 
acquiesces in the divine appointment. It even 
kisses the rod by which it is smitten, saying, " It is 
good for me that I have been afflicted." And even 
when it does not see the good to be derived from 
some bereaving dispensation; like Aaron, when 
his two oldest sons were smitten dead before his 
face, held his peace ; so the believer is still, know- 
ing from whom the stroke has proceeded. 

Patience is another excellent Christian virtue 
which has no room for exercise, except in a state 
of suffering. This grace is often and strongly 
inculcated in the Holy Scriptures ; and its exercise 
tends to exhibit to all observers, the excellency of 
true religion. The saints never glorify God more, 
in any circumstances, than when they let patience 
have its perfect work, while they are suffering in 
the furnace of affliction. Paul gloried in tribula- 
tion, because it wrought patience. " In your 
patience," says Christ, "possess ye your souls." 
And Paul exhorts to be " patient in tribulation." 



430 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

"Be patient," says James, "unto the coming of the 
Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the 
precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience 
for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 
Be ye also patient." 

Affliction being in its nature painful is the oppo- 
site of joy, and might seem, at first view, to be 
inconsistent with this state of mind. But while 
we suffer tribulation we may rejoice. Paul says, 
" I glory in tribulation, for tribulation worketh 
patience, and patience experience, and experience 
hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the 
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the 
Holy Ghost." Now that heart in which the love 
of God is shed abroad must be full of joy ; and this 
experience is had in the midst of tribulations. We 
are commanded to rejoice always, and therefore, we 
are bound to rejoice in the midst of affliction. 
Internal peace is often most perfect, when the per- 
son is under the pressure of external affliction. The 
experience of real Christians testifies, that their 
seasons of richest spiritual enjoyment, are not their 
days of external prosperity; but the dark and 
cloudy day of adversity. Indeed, in order to be a 
proper recipient of spiritual peace, it seems neces- 
sary that the heart should be reduced from that 
state of hardness or indifference which prosperity 
naturally induces, to a state of sensibility; which 
effect is often the result of affliction. The joy of 
the Lord requires a heart deeply sensible of its 
own weakness and unworthiness, which state of 
mind, in the truly pious, is produced by having it 
pierced and wounded, by the shafts of adversity. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 431 

One effect of affliction on most men is, that it 
urges them to seek God, that they may obtain his 
help. Even the ungodly will often pray earnestly 
for deliverance from a painful affliction ; but in the 
case of the sincerely pious, this effect of affliction is 
seldom wanting. Such pray in prosperity, but 
often their prayers become formal, and their souls 
are not stirred up from the bottom, and do not go 
forth in warm desires ; but the rod arouses the soul 
from its apathy, and stimulates it to call upon God 
with fervent cries and supplications. The spirit of 
prayer which is excited by adversity, is not merely 
for deliverance from the pressure of the particular 
affliction under which it now labours ; but by this 
means, it is brought to a lively feeling of its own 
sinfulness, and its urgent need of stronger faith, 
and more perfect patience and submission. It is 
led to inquire into the reason why it is thus afflicted. 
It searches for hidden and neglected sins, and can 
commonly see reason enough for the severity of the 
divine dispensations ; and often can trace the afflic- 
tion to some particular transgression, or the neglect 
of some particular duty. 

Affliction often opens up to a person's view, a 
depth of iniquity not before perceived. And thus 
it serves to humble the soul in deep penitence, 
which is the very temper suited to prayer. " The 
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and 
a contrite heart, O Lord, thou wilt not despise." 
Affliction not only is a powerful means of promoting 
the knowledge of our own hearts, and of the depth 
of iniquity which lodges within them; but it 
furnishes an opportunity for a more experimental 



432 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

knowledge of the wisdom, faithfulness, and mercy 
of God in his treatment of his children. He brings 
them into deep waters, that he may manifest the 
truth of his promises, " which are all yea and amen 
in Christ Jesus." Man's extremity is God's oppor- 
tunity, saith the proverb. When hope is nearly 
extinct, and the distressed soul is sinking as in 
miry clay, where there is no standing, help from 
God is experienced. It is delayed, for the purpose 
of letting the person try his own wisdom and 
strength to obtain relief, but when all other 
resources fail, then God is pleased to speak com- 
fortably to the troubled heart. He, as it were, 
takes him by the hand, and extricates him from the 
horrible pit and miry clay, sets him upon a rock, 
establishes his goings, and puts a new song into his 
mouth, even of praise to God, for delivering mercy. 
Knowledge of the faithfulness and loving-kindness 
of our heavenly Father, thus obtained, is far more 
valuable than the mere theory respecting these 
truths, without experience. An eminent theologian, 
on his death-bed, said to those around him, " I have 
learned more of God in these few days that I have 
been confined to this bed of sickness, than I ever 
knew before, with all my laborious study." 

Affliction is not always of the nature of chastise- 
ment. It is sometimes for trial, and to give a mani- 
festation of the power of faith, to endure with 
patience the burden which may be laid upon it. 
Thus, in the case of Job, his overwhelming calami- 
ties were sent for the trial of his sincerity and faith. 
And so, in the case of Abraham, when required to 
offer up his beloved son Isaac. And we have no 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 433 

right to infer, as the friends of Job did, that, when 
God sends grievous affliction on any person, it is an 
evidence that he is a great sinner. 

Afflictions — which may seem severe — are often 
the means of preventing much greater evils. The 
negative benefits which arise from various means 
of grace, are incapable of being fully appreciated 
by us. Yet we may know, by serious reflection on 
our own experience, that when we have been 
gradually approaching some dangerous temptation, 
which would in all probability have overcome and 
ruined us, Providence has interposed, and pre- 
vented the fall, by laying us on a bed of sickness; 
or by some sore bereavement has broken the snare 
in which we were entangled, and has opened our 
eyes to see the danger to which we were exposed. 
Not only may affliction be the means of preventing 
the believer's fall into sin, but one affliction may be 
the occasion of warding off another of much greater 
magnitude. How often such deliverances occur no 
mortal can tell, because we cannot know what 
would have occurred on certain conditions which 
never took place. God only knows how much we 
are all indebted to our afflictions for our escape from 
awful crimes or overwhelming calamities. The 
children of God would undoubtedly apostatize, 
were it not for the restraints laid upon them by 
the external dispensations of his providence, and 
by the internal operations of his grace. 

Once more, afflictions are made use of, in many 
cases, to prepare the saints for heaven, by causing 
them to desire rest from their protracted sufferings. 
Our affections are naturally attached to earthly 

55 



434 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

objects, which are present to our senses; and 
although grace changes the current of our thoughts, 
yet still their exists an undue attachment to the 
objects of sense. Here we have a home, to which 
we have been long habituated ; and every object 
around us, by association, is prized above its real 
value. Besides, we are surrounded by dear rela- 
tives, with whom we are naturally unwilling to 
part ; a feeble, helpless wife, it may be, and young, 
dependent children. These also may, as w r e sup- 
pose, need our assistance, and we cannot see how 
they can be provided for, and rendered comfort- 
able, if we should be taken away from them. 
We naturally ask, What will become of them ? Who 
will take care of them, when we are gone? In 
addition, the future is covered with darkness. We 
cannot comprehend how we shall exist, with what 
objects and persons we shall be conversant, and 
what our emotions will be in that untried state. A 
strong faith will, indeed, counteract these earthly 
influences ; but such a faith is aided by afflictions 
which show us the emptiness of all worldly posses- 
sions and enjoyments; and, under the pressure of 
long continued disease, the desire of deliverance 
and rest, becomes strong enough to counteract our 
attachment to earth, and to make us willing to leave 
friends and possessions, that we may be free from 
the pains which we endure. 

Some Christians have been distressed because 
they have been so little afflicted; fearing lest they 
were not the children of God, as the Scripture says, 
all sons receive chastisement. Let such not be 
troubled on this account, for their time of adversity 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 435 

may not have yet arrived. Some families, for many 
years, appear exempt from the strokes of adversity ; 
numerous children grow up in health, and there is 
no breach among them. But this cannot last. The 
longer adversity is in coming, the broader is the 
mark for its arrows. These children, however 
healthy for a season, will sicken and die. Be not 
impatient for affliction, it will come soon enough. 

It has already been remarked that there are inter- 
nal afflictions, which fill the soul with unspeakable 
anguish, when no external cause exists. These 
are often among the severest afflictions, and are as 
real as those which are the effect of external afflic- 
tive dispensations. 

The use which I would make of what has been 
said is, to exhort the sons and daughters of affliction, 
1. To recognize the hand of God in every affliction. 
Look not to second causes — look not to the persons 
who may have been the instruments of your suffer- 
ings. If the wicked have reviled and slandered 
you, follow the example of David, and say, " The 
Lord hath bidden them," that is, the Lord has per- 
mitted this affliction for your chastisement. 

2. Never murmur at the dealings of divine Provi- 
dence. Nothing can befall you without the order- 
ing of God. Repine not, therefore, at what he 
does, for however dark the dispensation, wisdom 
and mercy guide the stroke. Say then, " I know 
that in faithfulness, thou hast afflicted me." 

3. Try to improve your afflictions by exercising 
patience and submission. God has a sovereign 
right to dispose of you and yours. Rebel not 
against him. He has promised that all these things 



436 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

shall work together for your good. More, he has 
declared that these light afflictions, which are but 
for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding 
and eternal weight of glory. 

4. Consider that this is not your state of rest; that 
is to come. Here you are subjected to various trials, 
but when you have suffered a while, you shall have 
an abundant entrance administered to you, into the 
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ. 



SERMON XXIX. 



EXCELLENCY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 



Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of 
the knowledge of Christ. — Phil. iii. 8. 



The apostle Paul had enjoyed uncommon privileges 
as a Jew ; so that if any man had a right to glory 
in things of this kind, he more. " Circumcised the 
eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of 
Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching 
the law a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting 
the church; touching the righteousness which is 
in the law blameless." To which we may add what 
through modesty he would not hint at, that he was 
a man of extraordinary natural endowments, and 
had received a finished education, first in the 
schools of Tarsus, his native place, and afterwards 
at Jerusalem, under the tuition of the most cele- 
brated doctors. By his birth in Tarsus, he also 
enjoyed the privilege of being a Roman citizen, 
which was one of high importance in that day, and 
of which he sometimes availed himself when in 
perilous circumstances. It may be proper to men- 

437 



438 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

tion, also, that he was, prior to his conversion, in 
high favour with the ruling powers in Judea; and 
had he continued in the course which he commenced 
in opposition to Christianity, he would, in all pro- 
bability, have risen to a high station of honour and 
power among his countrymen. 

But, however great these advantages, he valued 
them not, when brought into competition with the 
gospel. A wonderful change had suddenly come 
over the ardent mind of this aspiring and zealous 
young man. He had not merely experienced a 
change, but he had been turned completely round ; 
and from being a raging persecutor of Christianity, 
he became its most able, zealous, and indefatigable 
preacher and defender. And the loss which he 
sustained by becoming a Christian, he counted 
nothing; yea, he counted it "gain;" and in com- 
parison with the excellency of the knowledge of 
Christ, he was not only willing to suffer the loss 
of all other things, but held them in the utmost 
contempt. 

Let us, then, consider the excellency of this 
knowledge, which had so captivated the mind, and 
engaged the warmest affections, of such a man 
as Paul. 

1. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ 
arises from the fact, that in him all divine and 
human excellence are combined. Whatever beauty 
and glory resides in the divine attributes, is in 
Christ; for "in -him dwelleth all the fulness of the 
Godhead bodily." Yea, the brightest display of 
the moral attributes of God is made in him, which 
ever has been exhibited. The angels are filled 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 439 

with profound adoration of the glories revealed in 
the Son of God, as Mediator. Therefore it is said. 
" Beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
Christ." He is called the " only begotten Son, full 
of grace and truth." And he is declared to be, 
"The brightness of the Father's glory, and the 
express image of his Person." He is called the 
word and wisdom of God, because through him 
God has revealed himself to man. " No man 
knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom 
the Son will reveal him." But in Christ, the per- 
fection of human virtues is also exhibited. " He 
was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from 
sinners." His love to God and compassion for 
men ; his humility, meekness, patience, fortitude, 
submission, and entire devotion to -his heavenly 
Father's will, and his perfect fulfilment of all right- 
eousness in his life, present an object of affection 
and veneration, which is above all parallel. We 
are apt to be dazzled and overwhelmed with the 
brightness of the divine glory ; but when these rays 
are, as it were, shaded and mitigated by passing 
through the humanity of our Lord, the object 
presented is exactly adapted to draw forth the 
purest and warmest affections of the pious heart. 
When this beauty is perceived by the light of the 
Spirit, the believing soul is ready to exclaim, " He 
is the chief among ten thousands, and altogether 
lovely." 

2. The superlative excellence of the knowledge 
of Christ is manifest in this, that it has a transform- 
ing and assimilating effect on all who believingly 
contemplate it. This effect is the natural conse- 



440 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

quence of a spiritual view of the glory of Christ ; 
for the affections of the heart are excited by this 
view ; and our likeness to the moral image of God, 
consists chiefly in holy affections. " God is love; 
and he that loveth, dwelleth in God and God in 
him." Therefore, this apostle says, "Beholding 
his glory, we are transformed into the same image 
from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord." 
" When we see him," says John, " we shall be like 
him, for we shall see him as he is." 

3. This knowledge is intimately connected with 
our justification, as well as our renovation ; for justi- 
fying faith is either included in it, or arises cer- 
tainly from it. If faith be the belief of the truth, 
or a full persuasion of the veracity of God speaking 
in his word, this knowledge includes it. If it be so 
defined as to comprehend other acts of the mind, 
they are such as naturally arise from a spiritual 
knowledge of the truth. He that possesses this 
knowledge of Christ, most certainly believes in him, 
and is in a justified state ; that is, his sins are freely 
pardoned, and he is reconciled to God, and adopted 
as a child to all the invaluable privileges of the 
sons of God. 

4. The superlative excellence of this knowledge 
is evident from its tendency to generate lively hope 
and to fill the soul with peace and joy. There is 
"peace in believing." The very exercise of the 
mind in contemplating such excellence, is the 
purest and sublimest pleasure of which we can 
form any conception. And it is in the atonement 
of Christ and his intercession for us, in the temple 
above, that all our highest and most assured hopes 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 441 

of future blessedness have their origin. He is, 
therefore, by a common figure of speech, called 
a our Hope" All spiritual comfort flows to us from 
this fountain. Even in the greatest afflictions, if 
ve possess this knowledge, it not only affords us 
sipport and inspires us with patience, but enables 
us to rejoice ; believing that these light afflictions, 
which are but for a moment, will work out for us 
a c ar more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 
Tlus, we find Paul saying, " We rejoice in hope 
of 'he glory of God, and not only so, but we glory 
in ribulation." The spiritual knowledge of Christ 
wil. enable us to obey the exhortation to " rejoice 
alwrys." If the word of God dwells in us richly, 
in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, we shall 
be cirected in the way in which we should go. 
Thoigh the carnal mind is blind to spiritual 
objecs; " he that is spiritual judgeth all things." 

5. The knowledge of Christ is excellent above 
all comparison, because it fits the soul for the 
enjoynents of heaven. The object of this know- 
ledge b the same to the saint in heaven as to the 
believe: on earth; the difference consists in the 
clearness of the vision. Here we see through a 
glass da*kly; there, face to face. Here, we know 
only in part; there we shall know as w r e are 
known. Indeed, this knowledge is the com- 
mencemext of eternal life, according to that decla- 
ration of cur Lord, "This is eternal life, to know 
thee, the cnly true God, and Jesus Christ whom 
thou hast sent." The noblest life of a rational 
being must consist in the knowledge of the most 

56 



442 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

glorious objects, and in supreme love to theii 
excellency. 

6. This leads me to remark, in the last place, 
that this knowledge will be for ever increasing. 
While here, the believer as he grows in grace, 
grows in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ. To every finite mind the acquisition 
of knowledge must be gradual. In heaven, though 
the views of Christ are perfectly clear, they io 
not comprehend the whole object; this is infinite. 
It can never be exhausted. In what way know T - 
ledge will be communicated in heaven, whether 
by teachers of our own race, or by angels, or 
directly by the Spirit of God, it would be pre- 
sumptuous in us to decide. Still, from the nature 
of the case, it may be known, that the knowbdge 
of the saints in heaven is progressive; and that 
this progression is eternal. O delightful prospect ! 
To be for ever learning more and more of the 
attributes of the infinite God, and more and more of 
his wonderful works and dispensations ! Tiis is a 
happiness suited to the nature of a rationa being. 
Men in this world are often puffed up on account 
of the knowledge which they acquire by laborious 
study; but what is this obscure glimmerhg, when 
compared with the knowledge which thf least in 
the kingdom of glory possesses ? Belie/ers, who 
have no opportunity of becoming acquanted with 
the discoveries of science in this world, need not 
repine. If they have the knowledge of Christ, and 
him crucified, all other kinds of useful knowledge 
will, on their entrance into the clear light of 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 443 

eternity, be added. The merest babe in Christ, in 
the future world, will know more of the works of 
God than all the philosophers upon earth. Know- 
ledge of the laws and phenomena of nature is 
useful to society, by leading to numerous improve- 
ments, w T hich lessen human toil, and minister to 
the convenience and comfort of this life. But 
when we view man as an immortal being, whose 
existence will be commensurate with eternity, all 
natural knowledge sinks into nothing. Of what 
account is it now, to those who were distinguished 
for their scientific knowledge, that they stood 
above their fellow men, in this respect ? Whether 
they are now in a state of happiness or misery, 
all their acquirements of that kind, are of no 
service to them. The knowledge of Christ is the 
only knowledge which will avail us in another 
w r orld. 

However high the saints may rise in heaven, and 
however enlarged may be their powers in that 
world; yet still Christ will be the inexhaustible 
source of their increase of knowledge. He will 
be the great Teacher, or rather luminary, from 
which rays of divine light will radiate and illumine 
the souls of all his worshippers, to the utmost 
capacity of their minds. But Christ in heaven as 
well as upon earth is the object of our knowledge, 
as he is its source. As he is divine, his perfec- 
tions are infinite. Probably, new relations of the 
great work of redemption will be revealed in con- 
tinual succession. Christ, as seen now by faith, 
appears to the believing mind, beautiful and glori- 



444 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

cms; but the glory of his appearance in heaven 
cannot be conceived by those who dwell in bodies 
of clay. 

The beatific vision cannot be described to mor- 
tals; or if described, it could not be understood. It 
must be experienced before any adequate concep- 
tion can be entertained of it. Paul had a transient 
view of what was passing in Paradise and in the 
third heaven; but when he returned, he uttered 
not a word respecting what he had seen. Indeed, he 
says, it was " unlawful to utter it," or as the original 
might be rendered, it was impossible. If the know- 
ledge of Christ, seen here darkly through the mists 
of human weakness and ignorance by faith, is so 
excellent, we may infer that the unveiled view of 
this object in heaven must be superlatively glorious. 
This perfection of divine knowledge is reserved for 
all the saints, according to their measure of com- 
prehension, in the world to come, where they shall 
all be collected, and though occupying different 
mansions in their Father's house, shall enjoy the 
beatific vision. 

Two inferences shall close this discourse. 

1. If the knowledge of Christ be so excellent, it 
should be our constant and vigorous effort to 
increase in it daily. It is the same as to grow in 
grace. And to attain this object, two things only 
are necessary; first, a diligent perusal of the 
Holy Scriptures, where the character and work of 
Christ are clearly exhibited ; and secondly, prayer 
to God for the influences of the Holy Spirit, by 
whose agency alone the mind is enlightened to 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 445 

behold the glory of God, as it shines in the face of 
Jesus Christ. And, as we have reason to believe, 
that our celestial vision of Christ will bear some 
proportion to our spiritual knowledge of Christ 
here, this should stimulate our minds to a holy 
emulation, to rise as high among the ranks of 
heaven as we can. As such an emulation can 
injure no one, and may be profitable to ourselves, 
we should entertain no scruple about indulging 
it. Fall not below the station to which you may 
arise. Make the best possible use of your 
privileges, which are afforded to you for this 
very purpose. 

2. The second inference is, if the knowledge of 
Christ be so excellent, and so infinitely superior to 
all other acquisitions, we should endeavour to 
extend it to as many of our fellow-creatures as 
w r e can possibly reach. It is our duty, and should 
be our delight to spread the gospel over the globe, 
until the knowledge of God shall cover the earth 
as the waters cover the sea. And as the Scriptures 
are the treasure-house of this knowledge, we should 
do all in our power to circulate the Bible in all 
languages, and, as faith comes by hearing, we 
should unite with cordiality, energy, and liberality, 
in educating pious young men for the ministry, 
and sending the living preacher to all those nations 
which are now sitting in darkness and the shadow 
of death. We should aim at nothing short of the 
conversion of the whole world ; of which there is 
at this time greater ground of hope than at any 
former period. 



446 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

And here again prayer is as necessary as in the 
former case. Nothing can be effected without 
divine influence, and this is promised in answer to 
prayer. Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but 
it is God who giveth the increase. For that 
increase let us pray without ceasing. 



SERMON XXX. 



HOLDING FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE. 



Holding forth the word of life. — Phil. ii. 16. 



The disciples of Christ are not called to a life of 
indolence, but to action. As Christ himself came 
as a light into the world, he would have those who 
follow him to be lights in their proper sphere. His 
exhortation to them was, " Let your light so shine 
that others seeing your good works may glorify 
your Father in heaven. " 

In our text there seems to be an allusion to torch- 
bearers, who in the night went before others to 
show them the way. The Christians at Philippi, 
who as yet formed a small proportion of the inhabi- 
tants, are reminded of the importance of exhibiting 
a good example before the heathen multitude by 
whom they were surrounded ; of being blameless 
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke; 
that is, furnishing no occasion for censure or 
rebuke, by the holiness of their lives. " Among 
whom," says he, "ye shine as lights in the world." 

447 



448 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

But as the verb in the original may with equal 
propriety be read in the imperative or the indica- 
tive mood, it would suit better with w T hat follows, 
to render it thus, " Shine as lights in the world, 
holding forth the word of life." Our text will, 
then, be an exposition of the manner in which 
they should shine; namely, by " holding forth the 
word of life." As if he had said, You are bound 
to shine upon the darkness around you, and this 
you can readily do, for you are furnished with a 
lamp or torch, even the word of life, which you 
ought to hold up to view, that those who are in 
darkness might be attracted by its light, and might 
be induced to walk in the light which is shed 
forth from this radiant point. 
Let us then, 

I. Inquire why the word is here called the 
word of life. 

II. And, in the second place, consider some of 
the ways by which this light may be held forth. 

And may the Lord afford spiritual illumination 
to both preacher and hearers this day ! 

I. No doubt, by the word of life, we are to 
understand the Holy Scriptures, and they are 
called the word of life, 

1. Because they clearly reveal to us a future 
life, and teach us the way by which we may obtain 
it. Nothing certain can be known of a future 
state of existence without the Scriptures; for even 
if reason could assure us that we shall exist 
hereafter, it cannot satisfy us, that we shall enjoy 
happiness in the world to come. But as we al] 
have a consciousness of sin, the dictate of sober 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 449 

reason is, that we must expect to be punished for 
our sins hereafter, since punishment does not 
always overtake the wicked here. Reason would 
dictate that the innocent and obedient would of 
course be happy under the government of a right- 
eons, moral governor; but in regard to pardon and 
reconciliation for sinners, reason utters not a word; 
she is dumb; or rather, she speaks a language of 
terror, saying that every one must be rewarded 
according to his works. And as we know that we 
are sinners, what can we expect but to suffer for 
our sins ? To man, thus walking in darkness and 
terror, the gospel brings a glorious and cheering 
light. " Life and immortality are brought to light 
by the gospel." The divine Author of our religion 
has given us the clearest information which could 
be desired; not only of the reality of a world of 
blessedness, but also of the means by which we 
may reach this happy state. And this revelation 
being recorded in the word, this is properly called 
"the word of life." 

2. But the word of God contained in the Holy 
Scriptures, is not only a revelation of a way of life, 
but it is an authoritative grant of life to condemned 
sinners, on the condition of faith and repentance. 
It is one thing to know that there is life, and to be 
informed of the way in which it may be attained, 
and another and very different thing, to have an 
offer by authority of this life to ourselves ; yea, 
a free grant of it, if we will accept the boon. To a 
prisoner condemned to death it is pleasing to know 
that the supreme authority is reconcilable; but 
O how transporting to hear from those appointed 

57 



450 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

to deliver the message, that he has sent me a sealed 
pardon ! Or to read the document itself, in which 
he declares in the most solemn manner, that all the 
sins of every penitent believer are forgiven ! The 
word contains the assurance of eternal life to every 
true believer; it is, therefore, emphatically " the 
word of life.' ' 

3. But the word is not only an authoritative 
message from the King of kings, granting life to 
all who are willing to receive it, but also the 
appointed instrument of communicating spiritual 
life to the soul. Though the work of regeneration 
requires the exertion of the same power which at 
first caused light to shine out of darkness, yet it 
has pleased God to ordain that his own truth 
should be the ordinary means of accomplishing this 
great work. " Faith comes by hearing, and hear- 
ing by the word of God." Christians are said to 
be begotten by the word of truth, and to be born 
again by the word. " Being born again, not of 
corruptible seed, but by the word of God, which 
liveth and abideth for ever." This metaphor by 
which the word is compared to a seed, is very 
appropriate ; for though a seed possesses vitality in 
itself, it will never vegetate unless it is brought 
under the influence of air, sun, and rain ; so, the 
word of God remains inefficacious until accom- 
panied by the Holy Spirit. And, again, as the 
word is the instrument by which the Spirit ope- 
rates, it is called, " the sword of the Spirit." The 
word is the means by which the sinner is con- 
vinced of his sin and danger. While ignorant of 
the law he remains careless and unconcerned ; but 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 451 

when the commandment comes, sin revives, and he 
dies. Paul says of himself, " I was alive once, 
without the law, but when the commandment came, 
sin revived and I died." "I had not known lust, 
except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." 
By this precept he learned that the law reached 
the thoughts of the heart. And conversion is 
produced by the energy of the Holy Spirit under 
the preaching of the word, as is evident from the 
texts already cited. The word contains in itself 
all those objects and qualities which are adapted to 
excite holy affections in the human soul; and the 
reason why it does not produce its appropriate 
effects on the hearts of all who hear or read it is, 
that there is no capacity in a soul dead in sin to 
perceive spiritual beauty, and no susceptibility of 
holy emotions and affections ; but when spiritual 
life is communicated, in proportion to the degree 
of illumination granted, the truth will appear in 
its genuine and attractive colours. Its reality, 
importance, beauty, and glory begin now to be 
perceived ; and the soul, under the influence of the 
Spirit, is rendered impressible by the truth. Thus 
every good desire, every holy emotion, every exer- 
cise of faith, love, repentance, hope, and joy, are 
produced by the views of truth which the soul now 
enjoys. The gospel is, indeed, " the word of life," 
and the means of spiritual life to every one that is 
born of God. 

4. Again, the word is not only the means of 
generating spiritual life, but is the nutriment by 
which this life is sustained, and by which it 
increases and grows. This progress of the soul 



452 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

in spiritual strength is what, in Scripture, is called 
sanctification. The new man, formed in regenera- 
tion, though possessing all the members and linea- 
ments of the child of God, is not made perfect in 
knowledge and strength at once, but,, analogous to 
what takes place in the human body, is first a babe, 
then a young man, and finally, an old man. Or, 
like the seed sown in the ground, there is " first the 
blade, then the ear, and finally, the full corn in the 
ear." Everv kind of life in this world needs 
nourishment. Man's natural body is in infancy 
supported by milk, and when grown, by bread and 
strong meat. So also the spiritual life must have 
nourishment in order to its continuance and growth. 
And this nourishment is found only in the word. 
" Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is 
truth." " Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 

5. By the word of the Lord the bodies of the 
saints, at the last day, shall be resuscitated, and 
inspired with new life. For all that are in their 
graves shall hear his voice, and come forth, some 
to everlasting life. Therefore, Christ, whose resur- 
rection is an earnest of that of his people, says, 
" I am the resurrection and the life," and by his 
authority and power, all the pious dead shall rise 
from their graves, and even the sea will give up her 
dead, in the resurrection day. It is, therefore, 
said by the apostle Paul, when speaking of the 
resurrection of the company of true believers, "As 
in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made 
alive." This doctrine of the resurrection of the 
dead is peculiar to the gospel, and is an animating 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 453 

and glorious doctrine. Then, indeed, may it be 
said that man lives, when " this mortal shall put 
on immortality." Then, indeed, " Death shall be 
swallowed up of life." 

II. We come, in the second place, as was pro- 
posed, to consider the duty of holding forth the 
word of life. 

The allusion is to holding up a light to others 
who are in darkness. The Philippians, in the 
preceding verse, are represented as in the midst 
of a crooked and perverse generation. They were 
surrounded by heathen idolaters, who were not 
only shrouded in ignorance, but degraded in their 
moral conduct. They had no correct knowledge 
of the true God, and were total strangers to the 
character and mediatorial work of Jesus Christ. 
They were at enmity with God, and aliens from 
the commonwealth of Israel. Now Christians, 
whose eyes had been opened, and who had been 
turned from the darkness of idolatry to the marvel- 
lous light of the gospel, had a duty to perform to 
their benighted fellow-citizens. It was incumbent 
on them to hold forth the lamp of divine truth, to 
scatter the darkness which surrounded the people; 
that is, it was their duty to make known to others 
that word by which their own souls had been 
quickened and enlightened. Nothing in the mate- 
rial world is more necessary than light. Without 
it all the beauty of the universe would be obscured. 
Without it all life, of every kind, would cease. 
Light is to the bodily eye, what truth is to the 
mind. Without the knowledge of the truth, the 
soul of man remains in a state of darkness and 



454 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

disorder. Nothing can supply the place of light 
in the natural world, and there is no substitute for 
truth in the spiritual world. But we need not 
now descant on the preciousness of divine truth, as 
we have already had the subject fully before us. 
Our inquiry now is, what can be done to hold it 
forth, so that others also may be illumined and 
guided by it, for as to the obligation to communi- 
cate the truth to others, there can be no doubt. 
Our Lord has given us express commands on this 
subject : " Let your light so shine that others seeing 
your good works may glorify your Father who is 
in heaven." And again, " Ye are the light of the 
world; a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." 
And he forbade his disciples to put their light 
under a bed or a bushel. 

Though it is incumbent on all Christians, accord- 
ing to their ability and opportunity, to communicate 
the truth to their fellow-creatures, there are some 
on whom this duty rests especially, as occupying 
stations and filling offices to which instruction 
appropriately belongs. The preacher of the gospel 
is by a solemn vow devoted to this very work. 
His commission extends to every individual of the 
race to whom he can gain access. " Preach the 
gospel to every creature." The command of God 
is, " Be instant in season, out of season, reprove, 
rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doc- 
trine." By means of the faithful preaching of the 
gospel, the word of life is held forth to many at 
once. 

But though it is not incumbent on all Christians 
to preach, it is the duty of all to do what in them 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 455 

lies, to have the gospel preached to all, by lending 
their aid to prepare young men for the ministry, 
by obtaining for them such an education as is 
requisite to qualify them for the ministry. It is 
undoubtedly the duty of all Christians to give their 
aid in supporting a faithful ministry in the Church, 
that all may have the opportunity of hearing the 
word of life. They may hold forth the word of 
life by supporting him who is authorized to dis- 
pense it; and by freeing him from the necessity of 
occupying his time in secular business for the sup- 
port of himself and family. But Christians should 
hold forth the lamp of life to the heathen world. 
A large proportion of our race have never heard 
the gospel, and we know of no way by which they 
can be saved without it. There is no other word 
of life. There is no other name given under hea- 
ven by which we must be saved — other foundation 
can no man lay than that which is laid, which is 
Jesus Christ. Christians are not sufficiently awake 
to this most important duty. The call is from 
hundreds of millions for their help. Not that the 
heathen desire the light of the gospel; but their 
urgent necessities should sound as a solemn call in 
our ears continually. And not only the heathen, 
but the Jews and Mohammedans, a numerous mul- 
titude, are also in darkness, to whom the word of 
life should be held forth, whether they will hear 
or forbear. Let Christians do what they can to 
enlighten these millions of men, inhabiting the 
earth contemporaneously with themselves, and 
whom they will soon meet at the judgment-seat 
of Christ. 



456 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

But "the word of life" may be held forth also by 
the press, even to a greater extent than by the 
living preacher. Books and tracts circulate where 
the sound of the preacher's voice is never heard. 
The word of God should be translated into all 
languages, and circulated through the whole world. 
Within the last half century much has been done 
in translating and circulating the Bible over the 
face of the earth. But the work is not yet accom- 
plished ; it is just begun. The Chinese and Hindoos 
will need millions of copies; as also many other 
heathen nations. 

Much may also be done by writing and circulat- 
ing evangelical tracts and books among the people. 
This good work has also been commenced and is 
in progress; but when we contemplate the wide 
harvest field, we have great reason to pray the 
Lord of the harvest for more help ; for the harvest 
is great and the labourers few. It is written, 
that the time will come when many shall run 
to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 
Does not the enterprise of colportage seem to be 
an accomplishment of this prediction ? 

But Christians must let their light shine by 
example, as well as teaching. The apostle seems 
to have had this especially in his eye, when he 
penned these words of the text, for he says, " Be 
harmless and blameless, the sons of God, without 
rebuke." Nothing in the power of man is more 
influential than example. A holy example strikes 
with force on every mind in which conscience is 
not seared as with a hot iron. There is something 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 457 

in a holy example which stops the mouths of gain- 
sayers sooner than all arguments. 

Let Christians live up to their duty and privi- 
leges ; let them manifest the true spirit of their holy 
religion, and exhibit beauty and purity in a con- 
sistent Christian example, and even infidelity itself 
will be abashed, when it has no evil thing to say of 
them. Even the sneering Gibbon, in attempting to 
account for the spread of Christianity, was obliged 
to give the unblamable lives of its professors as 
one of the causes. 



58 



SEEMON XXXI. 



THE HOUSE OF GOD DESIRABLE. 



How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts ! My soul longeth, 
yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my 
flesh crieth out for the living God. — Psa. lxxxiv. 1, 2. 



In the patriarchal ages, the pious had no particular 
place or consecrated edifice, where they offered up 
their worship to God ; but wherever they happened 
to reside, there they erected altars, on which they 
offered sacrifices, agreeably to the original insti- 
tution; and sometimes consecrated pillars, by 
anointing them with oil, to be memorials of some 
remarkable transaction. But in the time of Moses, 
while Israel remained near Mount Sinai, a com- 
mand was given to build a tent or tabernacle for 
the worship of God, of the most precious materials. 
The quality and workmanship of these were speci- 
fied with the utmost particularity. The form and 
dimensions of this sacred structure were also 
revealed, and it was positively directed that every 
part of it, even to the loops and pins, should be 
made in conformity to the pattern shown to Moses 
458 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 459 

in the Mount. Around the sacred tabernacle, a 
spacious court was enclosed, within which stood 
the altar of burnt-offerings, and the laver for the 
purification of the priests. While the Israelites 
sojourned in the wilderness, the tabernacle moved 
or remained with them, and the pillar of fire and 
cloud which rested on it, by night and day, was 
their constant guide. But when they had con- 
quered the promised land, Shiloh became the 
permanent residence of the house of God. For 
several hundred years, even to the time of Samuel 
the prophet, the tribes were accustomed to assem- 
ble for the celebration of divine worship at this 
place. But in the time of David, the ark of the 
covenant, after its return from the land of the 
Philistines, was brought to Jerusalem, where king 
David had erected for it a new tabernacle on a piece 
of ground, which, by divine direction, he had pur- 
chased from Araunah the Jebusite, at the time of 
the destructive plague by which so many thousands 
of the people were cut off. 

Here, on Mount Zion, was henceforth the sacred 
place where God met with his people. But the 
devout king of Israel was not contented that now, 
when the nation was rich and powerful, God's 
worship should be celebrated in a movable tent: 
he, therefore, by divine permission, resolved to 
erect a costly and splendid temple, adorned and 
furnished with the greatest possible magnificence. 
During the life of David, however, the tabernacle 
continued to be the place of worship ; for, although 
God approved of his pious purpose to build him a 
house, yet he chose that the work should be exe- 



460 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

cuted, not by him, but by his son and successor, 
Solomon. 

While there was only one place where God 
recorded his name, and one house where he gave 
tokens of his presence, it was a precious privilege 
to enjoy the opportunity of frequent access to the 
courts and to the tabernacle, where divine worship 
w r as daily and periodically celebrated; and where 
such rites were performed, and such objects exhi- 
bited, as were calculated to strengthen the faith, 
and enkindle the devotion of the pious. 

But it was especially desirable and pleasant to 
enter these courts, and join in the solemn wor- 
ship of the sanctuary on those sacred festivals, 
which, by divine appointment, were periodically 
solemnized : at which times, the scene was rendered 
peculiarly impressive and interesting, by the num- 
ber of appropriate and significant ceremonies which 
were exhibited; and by the eager multitudes of 
people who attended from every part of the holy 
land. 

On these solemn occasions, it must have been a 
delightful spectacle to behold- the thousands of 
Israel, of every age and condition, coming up to 
the house of the Lord, and presenting themselves 
before the God of Jacob, with their respective gifts 
and offerings. Who can tell with what rapture 
the bosom of the devout worshipper swelled, when 
his eye caught the first glance of that holy and 
beautiful house which contained so many expres- 
sive and mysterious emblems of Jehovah's presence, 
and of Jehovah's grace ! The worship of God in 
the tabernacle or temple was, doubtless, to the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 461 

pious Israelite, a most solemn and affecting service. 
In it the ancient saints took exceeding great 
delight. Therefore, we find in the Psalm from 
which our text is taken, and many others, an ex- 
pression of the most ardent desires to enjoy the 
privilege of joining with the people of God in the 
worship of the tabernacle; and the most pathetic 
lamentations when, by any circumstance, the 
Psalmist was prevented from attending the public 
worship of God, celebrated in this sacred edifice. 
" As the hart panteth for the water-brooks, so pant- 
eth my soul after thee, O God; my soul thirsteth 
for God, for the living God : when shall I come and 
appear before God?" And the liveliest joy was 
expressed upon the prospect of entering these 
sacred courts. " I was glad when they said unto 
me, Let us go unto the house of the Lord. Our feet 
shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jeru- 
salem is builded as a city that is compact together ; 
whither the tribes go up, the tribes, unto the testi- 
mony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of 
the Lord." And in our text: "How amiable are 
thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts :" and in verse 
10; " For a day in thy courts is better than a thou- 
sand. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house 
of my God than to dwell in the tents of wicked- 
ness." 

The essence of spiritual worship is the same 
under all dispensations; the same to the believing 
Israelite and the devout Christian. They had the 
same object of worship, for the God of Abraham, 
Isaac, and Jacob is the Christian's God. They 
exercised faith on the same Messiah; trusted in the 



462 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

same promises, and hoped for the same reward. 
The devotional exercises of the true worshippers 
under the old and the new dispensation were not 
different. Humble penitence, ardent thirsting after 
God, joy and confidence in his mercy and faithful- 
ness, and fervent gratitude and praise, were com- 
mon to both of them. Pious Jews and Christians, 
also, equally delighted in drawing near to God in 
his house. Here, under both dispensations, much 
was found to strengthen faith, to encourage hope, 
to elevate the affections, and to fill the troubled 
heart with consolation. 

And the courts of the Lord are still sought after, 
and rejoiced in, by all the true Israel. The solemn 
pomp of ceremonies, it is true, no longer strikes our 
eyes; the mysterious veil has been rent in twain 
from the top to the bottom; and the mysteries of 
the most holy place have been revealed. The mercy- 
seat is now accessible to all believers ; and the 
spiritual shechinah, or glory of God, is seen in 
the face of Jesus Christ. No longer is it requisite 
to pour out daily the blood of lambs and bullocks, 
which is not efficacious for the removal of guilt ; 
but it is ours, to present by faith the sprinkled 
blood of that Lamb which " cleanseth from all sin." 

If the worship of God, under the gospel, has less 
in it to strike the senses, and affect the imagination, 
it presents before the mind of the pious worshipper 
the object of faith much more clearly and strongly. 
The method of reconciliation is no longer hidden 
under shadows and types ; but the " new and living 
way" is rendered so manifest, that "the wayfaring 
men, though fools, shall not err therein." 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 463 

In the sequel of this discourse, I propose to 
explain what those considerations are, which have 
always rendered the House of God so desirable to 
the pious, both under the old and new covenants 
or dispensations. 

I. The courts of the Lord were highly prized by 
the pious of old, because, upon entering the sacred 
enclosure, they were permitted to behold the altar 
of burnt-offerings, on which, morning and evening, 
an unblemished lamb was offered unto God, and 
on which its blood was sprinkled. There is no 
want which every true penitent feels to be so 
urgent as his need of pardon; and as it is an 
unchangeable principle in the divine government 
that " without the shedding of blood there is no 
remission," no object of contemplation can be more 
interesting to such, than an atoning sacrifice. And, 
although the blood of these sacrificed animals pos- 
sessed no efficacy to purge the conscience; yet, 
they served as types to represent, in a lively man- 
ner, the real and efficacious atonement which God 
was about to provide. And a believing Israelite 
was not only privileged to behold at a distance the 
blood flowing from the altar, but to be himself the 
offerer. The scene was still more impressive, and his 
faith had a more evident ground on which to rest. 
In this case, the humble penitent was permitted to 
come near to the altar, and with confession of his 
sins, to lay his hand on the head of the victim, 
before it was slaughtered : as much as to say, may 
my guilt be transferred to my surety, and may he 
bear the punishment due to my sins. Then, when 
he beheld the devoted animal sinking- under the 



464 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

deadly stroke, and his quivering limbs laid upon 
the altar to be consumed, and the priest in his 
sacred garments receiving the shed blood, and 
sprinkling it on every side of the altar, and pour- 
ing it out at its foot, could any other language have 
taught him more significantly and impressively, 
that his pardon could in no other way be secured, 
than by the shedding of blood, and by the infliction 
of the punishment due to him upon a substitute? 
Every soul, therefore, which was deeply conscious 
of guilt, and thirsted for pardon, would ardently 
desire to enter the courts of the Lord, where he 
might fix his believing eyes on the sacrifices which 
exhibited, by anticipation, " the Lamb of God, 
which taketh away the sin of the world." 

And what is it now which renders the house of 
God desirable and delightful to the pious Christian, 
but the doctrine of atonement which is there exhi- 
bited to his view, in the word and sacraments of 
the church ? This is what causes him to long and 
faint for the courts of the Lord. Take away all 
idea of an atoning sacrifice for sin, and what is left 
that can much interest a soul oppressed with a 
sense of guilt and deserved punishment ? Without 
the doctrine of an atoning sacrifice, the gospel 
would be no glad tidings ; it would be but an empty 
sound. The church of God in that case would 
present no object of ardent desire to convinced sin- 
ners: the tabernacles of the Lord would be no 
longer amiable. The burdened soul would go away 
unrelieved; the thirsting soul unsatisfied. The 
sound of joy and thanksgiving would, in that case, 
be no longer heard in the courts of Zion. O Chris- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 465 

tian, what is it in the church of God which most 
enlivens and comforts your heart? Is it not "the 
Lamb slain" — "the blood of sprinkling" — "the 
cross" — the Redeemer, wounded for your trans- 
gressions, and bearing your sins in his own body 
on the tree ? And what in the preaching of the 
gospel do you find most attractive and edifying ? 
Is it not " Christ crucified ?" Wherever, then, this 
precious doctrine is plainly and fully inculcated, 
thither will the sincere seeker of salvation resort. 
And as long as the world stands, the tabernacles 
of the Lord will be amiable, when the people can 
find there a healing balm for a wounded conscience. 
2. The next conspicuous object in the court of 
the Lord's house, was the laver of purifying water. 
This was a lively figure of the " sanctification of 
the Spirit." Christ came both by water and by 
blood. So, when he hung on the cross, and was 
pierced to the heart with a spear, the disciple w T ho 
bore witness saw a double stream, of blood and 
water, issue from his side. Here justification by 
his blood, and sanctification by his Spirit, were 
emblematically represented. Every sincere believer 
earnestly desires to partake of both these rich bene- 
fits ; and on account of both, the tabernacles of the 
Lord are amiable and his courts desirable. How 
delightful is it to those who abhor sin and loathe its 
pollution, to come to a fountain open for the wash- 
ing away of sin and uncleanness? The doctrine 
of regeneration and sanctification by the sovereign 
and supernatural influences of the Holy Spirit, has 
ever been precious in the eyes of true Christians. 
And as these blessings are usually bestowed through 

59 



466 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the instrumentality of the word and ordinance of 
the church, therefore, the house of the Lord is 
rendered exceedingly desirable. There, the word 
is like a purifying bath, and the influences of the 
Spirit descend as the gently distilling rain. " Let 
us draw near, then, with a true heart, in full assur- 
ance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an 
evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure 
water." 

There is no more decisive evidence of being an 
Israelite indeed, than a habitual and ardent desire 
after universal holiness. The "new creature" 
breathes after complete redemption from the bond- 
age of iniquity; "hungers and thirsts after right- 
eousness," and never can be satisfied until he is 
filled. The name of Jesus is peculiarly precious 
to his people, because he saves them from their 
sins. The antinomian hypocrite desires exemption 
from punishment, and boasts of his liberty from the 
law, while sin has dominion over him, and while 
his pollution is not cleansed. But the truly regene- 
rate knows that Christ came not to be the minister 
of sin; and that the end of his death was " to pur- 
chase a peculiar people," whom he would redeem 
from all iniquity, and render zealous of good works. 
God's house is to his people lovely, because it is 
a holy house. Holiness was, in the tabernacle, 
inscribed on every person who ministered, and on 
every utensil used. Every thing which came near 
to God must be purified ; no unclean person or thing 
was, on any account, permitted to be brought into the 
sanctuary. And, now, by the grace administered, 
by means of the word and sacraments, the souls of 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 467 

believers undergo fresh purification from time to 
time. Here, as in a laver of pure water, they are 
washed again and again, from the filthiness con- 
tracted by too close a contact with the world; and 
knowing the value of this cleansing, the pious 
greatly delight in the courts of the Lord; and when 
prevented from the enjoyment of this privilege, 
their spirits long and faint, and their very flesh 
crieth out for the living God. " As the hunted 
hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my 
soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, 
for the living God ; when shall I come and appear 
before God?" 

3. As the court contained objects of deep interest 
to the true penitent; so also did the tabernacle itself. 
On entering this sacred edifice the first thing which 
would engage the attention of the observer, was the 
golden candlestick, with its seven branches and 
lamps, constantly illumining the holy place. This 
was undoubtedly an emblem of the knowledge of 
divine truth. The natural light is sweet, and a 
pleasant thing it is to behold the light of the sun : 
but blessed above expression, are they who have 
the light of divine truth continually beaming upon 
their souls. God is a sun unto those who are privi- 
leged to walk in the light. But as the natural sun 
is too bright for our eyes, with safety and comfort to 
gaze upon it, without the interposition of some 
medium to mitigate his burning splendour, so the 
light of God's glory is too dazzling for the contem- 
plation of human beings: they are overwhelmed 
and blinded by the exceeding brightness of his 
countenance. God is said, therefore, " to dwell in 



468 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

light which is inaccessible and full of glory, whom 
no man hath seen or can see." But in the church 
this glorious light is manifested in the face of Jesus 
Christ, who is " the Sun of righteousness ;" and here, 
without losing any thing of its clearness, its intol- 
erable brightness is mitigated, and accommodated 
to the weakness of our vision. The divine perfec- 
tions, by being exhibited in the person of the 
Mediator, and by being revealed to us through his 
human nature, are capable of being contemplated 
by the believing soul, as with open face. This 
view, however, is transforming; "for we are 
changed into the same image from glory to glory, 
as by the Spirit of the Lord." The truth of God 
revealed in his word, and illustrated by the Holy 
Spirit, is the light of the soul. All those who know 
not the truth are in " darkness and walk in dark- 
ness, and know not whither they go;" but they 
who are taught of God are " children of the light 
and of the day." Christ is to them "the true 
light," — " the Sun of righteousness, with healing 
under his wings." And as in the natural world, 
the sun itself is the object rendered most brightly 
conspicuous by his own rays; so Christ is the 
object most distinctly revealed by the light of 
divine truth. That is a false light which does not 
exhibit Christ in his mediatorial work and offices. 
How pleasing to enter a room which is illumined 
by a clear but mild light, rendering distinctly visi- 
ble all objects in the place : such a light radiated 
from the lamps of the golden candlestick, in the 
holy place. This light, like the holy fire, there is 
good reason to think, was never suffered to go out; 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 469 

for even in the day-time it was needed, as the taber- 
nacle had no window for the reception of the light 
from without. Thus the lamp of divine truth, 
since it first began to dawn upon the world has 
never been extinct, and will go on to shine brighter 
and brighter, until the earth shall be filled with 
the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea. 
And as this light still shines in the house of God, 
the spiritual worshipper rejoices to go thither, that 
he may be enlightened with its life-giving rays. 
Therefore, he cries out, " How amiable are thy 
tabernacles, O Lord!" Here, in the church, are 
now seen the golden candlesticks, and one walking 
in the midst of them, who is no other than the Son 
of man. " One thing," said the royal Psalmist, 
" have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek 
after : that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all 
the days of my life, that I may behold the beauty 
of the Lord, and inquire in his holy temple." 

4. Another significant emblem in the holy place 
of the tabernacle, was the table of shew-bread : on 
which were placed twelve loaves of bread, in two 
rows, answering to the twelve tribes of Israel. 
These loaves were covered with frankincense, and 
were renewed every Sabbath morning; and those 
which were removed were eaten by the priests 
within the sacred inclosure. 

As food is absolutely necessary to the subsistence 
of the body, according to the laws which regulate 
the animal economy ; and as bread is the chief arti- 
cle of food, and therefore called, " the staff of life," 
it furnishes an expressive emblem of that grace and 
truth by which the soul is nourished in the spiritual 



470 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

life. When the body is in want, hunger impels us 
to seek for bread, and to go wherever it can be 
obtained. In vain do we endeavour to satisfy the 
cravings of hunger with any thing but food. The 
most precious metals and jewels will be spurned by 
one perishing with famine, unless they can be 
made available to procure nourishment. The soul 
needs nourishment as well as the body. The soul is 
famished while it has nothing better to feed on than 
the husks of this world. But a gracious God has 
made ample provision for our spiritual refreshment. 
He has prepared " a feast of fat things," and the 
invitation is gone out, "that all things are ready;" 
and that there is room and a welcome for all who 
will come. This feast is exhibited in the courts of 
the Lord ; it is presented to all believers, in the 
word and sacraments of the church. Here Christ, 
the true bread, that came down from heaven, may 
be eaten. The hungry soul may here feast on the 
hidden manna. Here, the body of Christ, broken 
for us on the cross, is meat indeed. Here, also, 
babes in Christ are fed with the pure milk of the 
word, and grow thereby. Under all dispensations, 
bread has been an emblem of that grace which 
nourishes the soul. In the wilderness God prepares 
a table for his people ; and as there is no stint of 
spiritual provision, his language to them is, " Eat, 
O friends ; drink, O beloved." On every holy Sab- 
bath, the bread is renewed; the ministers of God, 
by the faithful preaching of his word, bring forth 
the precious food, and when the table of the Lord 
is spread, there is a rich feast for God's hungering 
people. His kind inviting language to them is, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 471 

" O taste, and see that God is good. Blessed is 
every one that trusteth in him." Well, then, might 
the Psalmist exclaim, when for a season separated 
from the house of God, " How amiable are thy 
tabernacles, O Lord ! My soul longeth, yea, even 
fainteth for the courts of the Lord." 

5. But in the holy place there was still another 
interesting object; it was the altar of incense. 
Every morning and evening sacred perfumes were 
here burnt, by a coal taken from the altar of burnt 
offerings. The ascending smoke, the sweet savour, 
and the officiating priest, exhibited, in an impressive 
manner, the prayers of the saints, and the interces- 
sions of our great High Priest. How pleasing the 
assurance, that the prayer of faith enters into the 
ears of the Lord of Sabaoth ! Our sincere petitions 
rise before him, like the odour of the precious 
incense from the golden altar. But our imperfect 
prayers can only be made acceptable through the 
kind and continual intercession of the High Priest 
of our profession. In allusion to this altar, the 
pious Psalmist sings, " Let my prayer be set 
forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up of 
my hands, as the evening sacrifice." There is a 
remarkable passage in the Revelation of John, 
which seems to have a relation to this subject : 
" And another angel came and stood before the 
altar, having a golden censer, and there was given 
unto him much incense, that he should offer it with 
the prayers of all saints, upon the golden altar, 
which was before the throne. And the smoke of 
the incense which came up with the prayers of the 
saints, ascended before God, out of the angel's hand." 



472 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

There is no stronger inducement to bring the 
pious near to God than the assurance that he is the 
hearer of prayer. This, in fact, is our only accessi- 
ble way of approaching our heavenly Father. No 
greater privilege, therefore, can be enjoyed by the 
believer, than prayer ; and he is so sensible of this, 
that nothing in the world could induce him to fore- 
go this exercise, or to abandon a throne of grace. 
That house, therefore, which is emphatically called 
" the house of prayer," is amiable in his eyes. His 
soul longs to be present with the assemblies of pray- 
ing people. He loves to mingle his desires, petitions, 
and praises with theirs. In these social and devo- 
tional exercises of the congregation of God's people, 
he finds unspeakable pleasure. " Blessed is the man 
whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto 
thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. He shall be 
satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of 
thy holy temple." " O thou that hearest prayer, 
unto thee shall all flesh come." 

6. But the tabernacle of the Lord was not only 
amiable and interesting, on account of what was 
visible, but more so on account of those sacred 
objects which were concealed from the eyes of the 
people, and even of the common priests. Between 
the holy and the most holy place was suspended a 
rich, impervious veil, which concealed from view the 
ark and all the other mysterious emblems of the 
sacred place. Beyond this veil no one was ever 
permitted to pass, except the high priest ; and he 
only on one day in the year — the great day of atone- 
ment ; when, with the blood of the sin-offering, and 
a censer of incense, he went to make atonement for 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 473 

his own sins, and those of the people. The wor- 
shippers in the court and in the sanctuary well 
knew, however, what was contained in this most 
holy place. They well knew that the divine glory 
visibly rested over the ark, and that there was the 
propitiatory, or mercy-seat, and the golden cherubim, 
with their expanded wings and emblematical faces. 
Their reverence and profound adoration would, 
therefore, be the more excited by the awful mystery 
which hung over this part of the tabernacle ; and as 
they approached the house of God, they would be 
rilled with holy exultation, and would be ready to 
exclaim, " How amiable are thy tabernacles, O 
Lord !" " I had rather be a door-keeper in the 
house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of 
wickedness." 

What an aw T ful feeling must have possessed the 
mind of the Jewish high priest, on the great day 
of atonement, when his duty required him to enter 
alone, with the blood of a sin-offering, within the 
mysterious and sacred veil which concealed the ark 
and mercy-seat from all mortal eyes, and where 
the miraculous effulgence of the divine glory was 
manifest over the cherubim ! 

But although the Christian, in his worship, has 
nothing which is so suited to affect the senses, and 
excite fear ; yet, he enjoys a privilege which no 
pious Israelite could enjoy in the same ample and 
spiritual manner. He has direct and immediate 
access to the High Priest, made with a solemn oath 
of God, after the order of Melchisedek ; and who 
has for him entered into the most holy place not 
made with hands, not with the blood of goats and 

60 



474 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

calves — which could never take away sin , but with 
his own blood, which has efficacy to cleanse from 
all sin. He is, therefore, able to save to the utter- 
most all who come unto God by him; seeing he 
ever liveth to make intercession for them. And 
the Levitical priesthood, and all its accompanying 
apparatus of types and sacrifices, as being mere 
shadows of good things to come, have vanished 
away since the substance has come; just as the 
shadows of night fly away at the rising of the sun. 
The mercy-seat is now accessible to every 
believer, and it is still sprinkled w T ith the blood of 
atonement ; so that however guilty, w r e may come 
boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain 
mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And 
as the glory of God took up its residence over 
the mercy-seat, so still, his glory, not visible but 
spiritual, is beheld in the face of Jesus Christ, who 
is himself the propitiatory. And as from between 
the cherubim, God was pleased to utter a gracious 
response to the petitions of the priest invested with 
the sacred breast-plate, and the Urim and Thummim ; 
so now every true believer is so far made a priest 
unto God, that he has the privilege of presenting 
as many petitions as he will, and has the promise 
of a gracious answer from him who sitteth on the 
mercy-seat. " Blessed are all they who dwell in 
thy house." 

The inferences from the subject treated, are 

1. The benefits and pleasures of public worship 

being thus great, we ought so highly to prize the 

house and ordinances of God, as never to be absent 

from his courts, unless providentially prevented 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 475 

from attendance. This subject brings a solemn 
admonition to many who suffer a trifling obstacle 
to prevent them from appearing in the temple of 
God when the regular period of public worship 
comes round. Professing Christians who thus act 
despise their own mercies. They loathe the 
children's bread, by which alone they can be nour- 
ished. They love darkness rather than light, or 
they would come to the place where the " true 
light" shineth. They are insensible of their own 
pollution, and the value and sweetness of moral 
purity, or they would frequent the fountain in which 
their filthiness might be cleansed. They know not 
the malignity of the disease by which they are in- 
fected, and by which their life is threatened, or they 
would assiduously attend on the great Physician, 
and make use of the remedies which he prescribes. 
As to the multitudes who are seldom or never 
seen in the house of God, it is, perhaps, useless to 
address an admonition to them, because they are 
not likely to peruse a discourse of this kind ; but if, 
for a moment, I could gain their attention, I would 
say, Deluded mortals ! you know not what you are 
doing. You are pursuing happiness, and yet turn 
your backs upon the only true source of felicity. 
You neglect preparation for another world, and yet 
you stand upon its verge. Suffer one word of 
exhortation from a fellow-traveller to eternity, who 
seeks your salvation. Turn from the evil, reckless 
course, which you are pursuing. Turn unto God 
and live. Turn towards Zion — towards the temple 
of the most High, where alone safety and happiness 
can be found. Turn seasonably — that is, instantly ; 



476 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

lest, when his wrath is kindled, you perish for ever, 
with the workers of iniquity. "Behold, now is the 
accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 
" Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon 
him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his 
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and 
let him return unto the Lord, and he will have 
mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abun- 
dantly pardon." And that you may receive safe 
directions into the way of life, go, I beseech you, 
to the house of God; frequent. his courts; listen to 
his word, and obey his commands. Then you 
will also join in saying, " How amiable are thy 
tabernacles, O Lord !" 

2. This subject also reproves those, who, for the 
sake of earthly gain, emigrate from a region where 
they enjoy the privileges of God's house, and go, 
with their families, far into the wilderness, where 
there are no churches, no Sabbath observed, no 
sound of the gospel, except from some chance itine- 
rant. Here, their children grow up without the 
beneficial training of the church, and without the 
salutary and powerful influence of religious society. 
They grow up nearly as wild as the savages whose 
places they occupy. There are thousands of 
families who have thus sacrificed spiritual, for the 
sake of earthly blessings ; who have preferred fat 
lands and rich crops to the pleasures and bene- 
fits of the church of God. They may have obtained 
for their children a worldly inheritance, while they 
have put them entirely out of the way of securing 
for themselves an inheritance among the saints in 
light. Solemn will be the account which such 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 477 

persons must give for turning their backs upon the 
house of God, and removing their children, conse- 
crated to God, perhaps, in holy baptism, from the 
church into which they were initiated, and from all 
the means of grace. God may, in some instances, 
have overruled it for good, by planting germs of 
gospel churches in the bosom of the wilderness ; 
but this does not lessen the guilt of those who 
deserted the ordinances of God, without any reason 
to expect that spiritual good would accrue. 

I am not opposed to emigration. In this land, 
it is the order of Providence to fill up the unoccu- 
pied parts of the earth ; but I would have Christian 
people to emigrate with the ark and the priesthood 
in their midst. Let them first provide for the 
instruction and spiritual edification of their fami- 
lies, and then let them go forth wherever Provi- 
dence may direct them. Let them only be careful 
to follow the leadings of the pillar of fire and 
cloud, and pitch their tents wherever God may 
direct. 

3. But, finally, I feel my heart moving me to say 
a word to such as are still, unhappily, far from the 
tabernacle of God, whether thus separated from the 
ordinances of public worship by their own fault or 
not. In such painful circumstances, I know, there 
are found many of God's dear children. "When 
the Sabbath comes, no church-bell announces the 
approach of the hour of public worship. No tem- 
ple of God rears its top towards the skies ; yea, no 
humble tabernacle, of the felled trees of the forest, 
stands open to receive them. They are doomed 
to silent Sabbaths. They cannot but reflect with 



478 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

a mournful pleasure on the privileges and enjoy- 
ments of former days. 

Dear brethren, I sincerely compassionate your 
condition, and would suggest a few words of coun- 
sel suited to your present destitute circumstances. 
If you have any pious neighbours, or any near you 
who have any sense of the importance of religion, 
however small their number, invite them to meet 
with you for the social worship of God, and for the 
reading of his holy word. " Where two or three," 
says Christ, " are met together in my name, there 
am I in the midst of them." Be not backward to 
take a part in these social exercises. Though you 
may be weak in the gift of prayer, the mere effort 
will be acceptable in the sight of God ; and he 
often wonderfully strengthens the weak, and aids 
those who go forward in the performance of duty, 
in humble dependence on his help. Be not dis- 
couraged, although many obstacles should oppose 
your attempt. Persevere, and God may cause " a 
little one to become a thousand." From such a 
beginning, a flourishing church may take its rise. 
In these social meetings, on the Sabbath, make it a 
point to catechize the children, and give them good 
advice. And as a substitute for preaching, let a 
sermon or a religious tract be read by one of your 
number. A sermon out of Boston, Burder, Davies, 
Walker, Scott, Newton, or Witherspoon, will often 
be found exceedingly refreshing, and will be likely 
to have a very salutary effect on your children. I 
have known such social meetings to be eminently 
blessed, in the absence of public ordinances, in pre- 
serving the spirit of piety from becoming extinct. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 479 

But I would earnestly beseech you to spare no 
pains to get the gospel preached among you, by a 
faithful minister. Go to the nearest presbytery, 
when met, and supplicate with importunity for aid. 
Take no denial ; but hang upon the skirts of the 
servants of God, until they consent to visit you. This 
advice will also apply to many vacant churches. 
These are often so far removed from settled minis- 
ters, that they are seldom supplied with preaching ; 
and often the elders neglect to gather the people 
together at the house of God. This is a fault to 
be censured. It is the duty of every ruling elder, 
in the want of a pastor, to do his best in giving the 
people instruction. He must not preach, but he 
may exhort the people to the performance of duty. 
He may instruct the ignorant by familiar conversa- 
tion; and he may and ought to catechize the 
children, in the use of the excellent catechisms of 
our church. And it is his bounden duty to read 
an edifying sermon to the destitute flock. 

Finally, I would say to all Christians, expect not 
only delight, but profit, from an attendance on the 
house of God. Prepare diligently for these holy 
services. Dismiss entirely worldly cares. Endea- 
vour to raise your minds to heaven. Soar above 
the world in holy contemplation, Guard against 
formality and wandering thoughts. Exercise a 
lively faith in the truths which may be presented 
for your consideration, and let your aspirations to 
God for his grace be incessant; and may grace, 
mercy, and peace be upon you, Amen. 



SERMON XXXII. 



THE MISERY OP IMPENITENT SINNERS. 



For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of 
iniquity. — Acts viii. 23. 



Simon, the sorcerer, figures greatly in oriental 
history as the father of many impious and extrava- 
gant heresies. A majority of the sects which go 
under the general name of Gnostics, are, by the 
early ecclesiastical writers, traced up to this man. 
His history, however, except what is here given in 
the Acts of the Apostles, is very obscure and uncer- 
tain. We learn from the narrative of Luke, that 
Simon in his travels had come to the city of Sama- 
ria, where he took up his residence for a time ; and 
gained such an influence over the inhabitants by 
his magical arts, that from the least to the greatest, 
they gave heed to him, and believed him to be what 
he professed, " the great power of God." But 
though the strong man armed seemed to have com- 
plete possession of this castle ; yet there was one 
stronger than he, who had power to cast him out. 
480 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 481 

The gospel is truly the great power of God. Wher- 
ever it comes it overthrows the kingdom of dark- 
ness, and emancipates souls from the tyranny of 
Satan. As Moses overcame the arts of the 
magicians of Egypt; so the first ministers of the 
gospel, armed with the panoply of God, were suc- 
cessful in every contest with the powers of dark- 
ness. Their cunning agents and pretended miracles 
could not bear the light of the everlasting gospel ; 
and all their miracles were found to be only " lying 
wonders." The gospel was first preached at Sama- 
ria by Philip the evangelist, who had at first been 
a deacon. His preaching being attended with the 
power of God, produced a w T onderful effect on the 
inhabitants of this city, for both men and women 
believed the divine testimony delivered by Philip. 
Simon had no power to prevent the people from 
turning to the Lord, and submitting to Chris- 
tian baptism as a sign of their discipleship to Christ; 
wherefore, artfully and hypocritically, the sorcerer 
himself professed faith in Christ, and was also 
baptized ; hoping by this means, no doubt, to 
retain the influence which he had acquired over 
the minds of the people. 

"When the apostles, at Jerusalem, heard of the 
great success of the gospel at Samaria, they deputed 
two of their number to visit the place ; particularly 
for the purpose of communicating the miraculous 
gifts of the Holy Ghost, which were at that time 
bestowed on the churches ; but which were only 
given by the laying on of the hands of the apostles 
When Simon saw that through the laying on ot 
the hands of the apostles, the miraculous gifts of 

61 



482 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the Holy Ghost were given, he thought within him- 
self, what he might accomplish, if possessed of such 
a power as that exercised by Peter and John. 
And his covetous heart judging of others by him- 
self, inspired him with the audacity to make an 
offer of money to the apostles, " Saying, give me 
also this power, that, on whomsoever I lay hands, 
he may receive the Holy Ghost." Peter indignant- 
ly said unto him, " Thy money perish with thee, 
because thou hast thought the gift of God may be 
purchased with money. Thou hast neither part 
nor lot in this matter ; for thine heart is not right 
in the sight of God. Repent, therefore, of this thy 
wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought 
of thy heart may be forgiven thee ; for I perceive 
thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of 
iniquity." 

We may learn from the facts here recorded, that 
men may make a fair profession of faith and be 
regularly received into the church by baptism, and 
yet be destitute of a spark of true piety. As far as 
appears, the sincerity of Simon was not suspected 
by his fellow-professors, nor by the apostles, until 
his wickedness was made manifest by his impious 
proposal. 

Churches and church-officers are not to be cen- 
sured for receiving into the communion such as 
make a fair profession; and even if they suspect 
their sincerity, they have no right to exclude them, 
until by some overt act or speech they clearly dis- 
cover that their hearts are not right in the sight of 
God. The power of searching the heart belongs 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 483 

not to men — no, not even to apostles; but is the 
prerogative of God. 

The language of the apostle Peter, in our text, is 
very strongly expressive of the condition of an 
unconverted man. For, though some unreg^enerate 
men are further from the kingdom of heaven than 
others, and their condition much more hopeless ; 
yet what is here said of Simon the sorcerer is true 
of every impenitent sinner in the world. He is in 
the " gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity." The 
two prominent ideas of the text are, bondage and 
misery; bondage of the worst kind — of iniquity ; 
and misery expressed by the " gall of bitterness." 

What I propose in the sequel of this discourse is, 
to show the misery of the state of the unconverted. 
It would be important, if we had time, first to lay 
down the marks by which an unregenerate state 
may be ascertained ; but it will be inexpedient, at 
present, to enter further on that subject, than to 
observe, that where persons are conscious that they 
are living habitually in the practice of known sin, 
or in the neglect of acknowledged duty, the conclu- 
sion is undoubted, that the heart has never been 
renewed. 

Again, so great a change as that signified by 
conversion, or being " born again," cannot take 
place without the person being conscious of it. It 
is not meant, that every regenerate person knows 
certainly that he is renewed ; but that every one 
who has experienced this change must be conscious 
of new views and new feelings in regard to many 
things. Every true convert has had his eyes 
opened to see the exceeding odiousness of. sin, and 



484 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

has sincerely repented that he has ever been guilty 
of that abominable thing which God hates. He has 
also been convinced of the insufficiency of his own 
righteousness to justify him, and of the inefficacy 
of his own efforts to deliver him from the bondage 
of iniquity, in which he finds himself involved. 
Every sincere convert has been led to justify God, 
and to condemn himself by accepting the punish- 
ment of his sins as just ; and has been led to view 
Christ as a sufficient, a suitable, and the only 
Saviour ; and has been induced to commit his soul 
into his hands, by a willing submission and an 
unreserved surrender of all his faculties to his 
service. 

Now, there are multitudes who are conscious 
that they never experienced any such change ; and 
are, therefore, • still in the state of nature. Others 
have been the subject of transient religious impres- 
sions; but they cannot but know that no radical 
and permanent change has been wrought upon 
them. Let no man deceive himself with the decep- 
tive idea, that this change may have been experi- 
enced without his being conscious of its effects; 
and, especially, let no impenitent sinner fall into 
the soul-destroying delusion that no such change is 
necessary to salvation; or that it was effected for 
him in his baptism in infancy. It can be the inter- 
est of no one to be deceived in a matter of such 
momentous interest. Whatever present ease such 
a deception may afford for a few days, the awful 
truth must be realized, sooner or later ; and if the 
truth should not be known until it is too late to 
seek a remedy, the recollection of having foolishly 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 485 

yielded to such a delusion, will enhance the misery 
of the soul through eternity. 

1. The first thing which shows the misery of an 
unconverted sinner is, that he lies under a sentence 
of condemnation from the holy law of God. The 
curse which he has incurred is proportionate to the 
number and heinousness of his sins. " Cursed is 
every one that continueth not in all things written 
in the book of the law to do them." " He that 
believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath 
of God abides upon him." " He that believeth not 
shall be damned." 

To be condemned to death by a human tribunal 
is a state deeply deprecated and earnestly shunned 
by most men ; but what is the sentence of a human 
law compared with the law of God ? What is the 
sentence of a fallible man upon ourselves, compared 
with the sentence of the Almighty Judge ? What 
is the transient pang of temporal death, com- 
pared with the never-ending agonies of the second 
death? Remember, O man, that you live daily 
under a sentence of condemnation, which, if you 
understood and felt its weight, would destroy all 
your cheerfulness, and incapacitate you for all your 
worldly pursuits and pleasures. This bond of the 
law is one from which you can never extricate 
yourself. And no creature in heaven or earth can 
redeem you from this miserable thraldom. Con- 
sider, also, that your guilt is accumulating every 
day. While none of the old scores are wiped out, 
by your daily sins you are "treasuring up wrath 
against the day of wrath, and revelation of the 
righteous judgment of God." 



486 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

2. While the impenitent man lives in sin, he is 
miserable. The soul cannot be satisfied with 
earthly objects — and often great disappointment is 
experienced by most m regard to the objects on 
which they place their affections. Their schemes 
of acquiring wealth utterly fail ; or riches, when 
acquired, make to themselves wings and fly away, 
as an eagle to heaven. But alas ! the great mass 
of mankind spend all their lives in wretchedness. 
Vice breeds misery, among the rich and the poor. 
" The way of transgressors is hard." Crimes com- 
mitted under the influence of passion, or in thought- 
less levity, are bitter in recollection. Remorse, 
in the time of adversity, is armed with a scorpion 
sting. Old age to an impenitent sinner is a dreary, 
desolate period. But a majority of transgressors 
never arrive at this age. They do not live out 
half their days. Excesses of every kind undermine 
the stoutest constitutions; and when avarice or 
ambition is the governing passion, care and 
anxiety exhaust the spirits, and wear out the life. 
Many, also, fear keeps in misery. The dread of 
death and judgment are thoughts which coming 
across their minds disturb their gaiety, even in 
the midst of feasting, like the hand- writing on the 
wall to Belshazzar. " There is no peace, saith my 
God, to the wicked." 

3. Though it is true that the unconverted are 
far from being happy in this world; yet statements 
of the truth on this subject commonly produce very 
little effect on their minds; for they still labour 
under the delusion that happiness is attainable in 
earthly pursuits, or in the possession of earthly 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 487 

objects. And many, by running a continual round 
of exciting amusements, try to think that they are 
living a life of pleasure ; while all thoughts of death 
and eternity are banished from their minds. Others 
are so completely occupied with the business of the 
world, that they have no time for serious reflection; 
and the thought of future judgment is seldom per- 
mitted to obtain an hour's consideration. Though 
this course must soon have an end, and disease or 
death interrupt their pursuits; yet others follow 
on in the same track, with as much ardour and 
with as sanguine hopes, as if all who had gone 
before them had been successful. 

Instead, therefore, of endeavouring to convince the 
impenitent that they are miserable, I w T ill direct 
their attention to the future ; and especially to the 
future world. No man can be so infatuated as to 
expect to escape death. Men may turn away their 
thoughts from the hated monster; but its reality 
they cannot doubt. The evidences of man's 
mortality are clear as the sun light. And every 
man knows that every passing day brings him 
nearer to this dreaded event; and no power can 
retard the rapid speed with which he hastens to 
eternity. Death, too, is commonly attended with 
many appalling circumstances. The worldling is 
snatched away often in the midst of his uncompleted 
schemes. He must leave all his gains, as well as 
his prospects, behind ; for, " as we brought nothing 
into the world with us, it is certain we can carry 
nothing out." The fruits of all his anxious toil 
are taken away in a moment. What folly and 
vanity to set the heart on that which must so soon 



488 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

be relinquished for ever! Sickness and bodily 
pain usually accompany men's departure out of 
life. The struggle with the last enemy is some- 
times long, and, in many cases, the agony great. 
When the strong man is bowed down with mortal 
disease, he makes a mighty resistance, but all in 
vain. The unrelenting foe pursues him through 
every lane of life, until his conquest is complete. It 
is wonderful, that living men who have witnessed 
the last struggles and agonies of the dying, can ever 
be at rest, or enjoy one moment's ease, until they 
are prepared for this awful scene. See the sick 
man on his dying bed, how he writhes in excruciat- 
ing anguish. See his restless, despairing looks 
turned every way for relief, but in vain. The 
physician has exhausted the resources of his art 
and has given over the patient. Friend, wife, 
children, brothers and sisters weep around him; 
and the parting with these adds to the poignancy 
of his anguish, and their very tears increase his 
misery. Wretched man ! he has made no prepara- 
tion for his appearance before the judgment-seat, 
where all his sins will be sure to meet him. Can 
nothing be done for his salvation in these last 
moments ? We would not limit the grace or power 
of God ; but surely, the opportunity of accomplish- 
ing so great a work in so short a time, and under 
such adverse circumstances, is small indeed. And 
often, when the religious teacher is permitted to see 
him, he finds that it is too late to do any thing 
effectual. If the dying person has imbibed dan- 
gerous errors, there is no time to have them re- 
moved by argument. If he is ignorant of the truths 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 489 

of religion, he is in no condition to attend to the 
lessons of instruction ; if hardened in iniquity, sick- 
ness and pain and fear have no tendency to soften 
the heart. And often his reason is clouded or 
deranged, so that he is physically incapable of 
receiving any benefit from instruction. In many 
cases too, the misguided friends and attendants use 
every art to keep the dying from hearing any thing 
about religion, lest the awful subject should distress 
or injure them. What can the minister of God do 
for such a miserable man at the last hour ? Alas ! 
in most cases, he can do nothing with any hope of 
saving benefit. 

It is an unpleasant, as well as an ungrateful 
duty, to attempt to lift the curtain, and to follow 
the dying sinner into his future abode; but, how- 
ever painful, the minister of God, who has the care 
of souls, and who is commissioned to declare " the 
whole counsel of God," must not hesitate to present 
the truth in its solemn reality. The office of the 
minister is like that of the skilful surgeon, who, 
when he perceives that unless the gangrened limb 
be removed, the patient must die, does not hesitate 
to amputate the diseased member, however painful 
to the feelings of the person ; so, the faithful minis- 
ter must not consult the taste or feelings of his 
hearers in administering to them ; but must bring 
forth to their view, and solemnly inculcate on their 
conscience, those truths needful to be known, how- 
ever unpleasant to their present feelings. It is 
better to suffer the pains of compunction now, than 
to endure the pains of hell for ever. It is necessary 
to warn impenitent persons of their imminent dan- 

62 



490 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

ger of destruction. They are walking securely 
upon the very brink of ruin, unaware of their danger. 
How would we tremble if we saw a blind man ap- 
proaching the verge of a frightful precipice, without 
being aware of his danger ! And why are we not 
more affected than we are, with the dangerous con- 
dition of unconverted men and women ; yea, of the 
members of our own families ; it may be our beloved 
children ; or our brothers or sisters, who, we have 
reason to fear, are yet out of Christ ! This sinful 
indifference is owing principally to our want of a 
lively faith in the realities of the invisible world. 
If the awful truths which the Bible reveals, respect- 
ing the future, endless misery of all who die in their 
sins, without being regenerated and reconciled to God, 
were firmly believed, we should never cease to en- 
treat sinners to repent, and to beseech the Almighty 
to awaken them to a sense of their danger. If we 
could only have a view of the misery of multitudes, 
who neglected the great salvation, until the day of 
grace was gone by — could we see their anguish, 
and hear their groans, we would not be deterred 
from faithfully warning such as are still within the 
reach of mercy. Suffer, then, I beseech you, the 
word of exhortation and warning: "The wicked is 
driven away in his wickedness." In a moment he 
is separated from all on which he had set his affec- 
tions. His wealth, heaped up with so much toil, 
and often at the expense of a good conscience, he 
must leave behind him, for he can carry nothing to 
the grave but his coffin and winding-sheet. He is 
obliged to bid farewell to all his beloved relatives — 
torn away, it may be, from the wife of his bosom, 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 491 

and from the children, the offspring of his body. 
He shuts his eyes, for ever, on all terrestrial things, 
and launches into an unknown world. And when 
his spirit has escaped from its clay tenement, what 
is its condition? Are there any kind friends to 
meet it on its entrance into eternity ? Does the 
immortal soul find any peaceful retreat — any place 
of rest after the toil of life ? Will such a soul be 
convoyed by guardian angels to Abraham's bosom ? 
Alas ! no ; a title to heaven was not sought and 
secured in the season of mercy ; and now the door 
of mercy is for ever shut. If the glory of heaven 
is seen, it is at an unapproachable distance. If 
others, and neighbours, and acquaintances are seen 
entering those blessed mansions; yet there is no 
place there for the impenitent. If they should now 
approach the gates of the celestial city, and beg 
most importunately for admittance, it will avail 
nothing. The terrible response to all their petitions 
will be, " Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity. " 
The assurance that heaven and happiness are for 
ever lost, will fill the soul with unspeakable anguish. 
Fell despair, with all its horrid blackness of dark- 
ness, from that moment so envelopes the miserable, 
lost soul, that not a ray of hope is ever permitted to 
reach it. Yes, the full realization of the eternal 
loss of the soul is a thing of which we may now 
talk, but of which all our conceptions are utterly 
inadequate. But this is not all. The misery of 
hell is not that of mere loss; there is positive tor- 
ment to be endured. The lost sinner is cast into 
the abyss of darkness and fire, " where their worm 
dieth not, and their fire is not quenched" — " Where 



492 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

there is weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth." 
Who can describe or imagine the horrors of that 
dismal prison of despair? Who can conceive of 
the agonies of a soul tormented with remorse and 
despair, and the pressure of Almighty wrath ? Who 
can dwell with everlasting burnings? One hour 
of this misery will be an overbalance of all the 
pleasures of sin. And if an hour of such misery 
be so intolerable, what will it be for a year ? But 
why speak of hours and years? 

Time is ended — eternity has commenced its un- 
changing, unending duration ! Immortality, origi- 
nally the dignity of man, is now his curse. Con- 
science, his noblest faculty, is now his chief 
tormentor. Memory, which brings up the vivid 
recollection of his sins, is an unceasing source of 
bitter remorse. Foresight of the future is accom- 
panied with black despair. Passion rages, but all 
gratification is excluded. Our feelings revolt 
against the idea of the eternity of such sufferings ; 
but our feelings are no proper judges of what 
divine justice demands. A child, on seeing a 
murderer suspended on the gallows, is affected in 
a similar manner ; and if it were in its power would 
release the culprit. The evil of sin, which is rebel- 
lion against a Being of infinite perfection, is not 
fully understood by us here. It is certainly right 
to pursue transgression with as much punishment 
as it deserves; and we may rest assured that a 
righteous God will not inflict a pang more than is 
perfectly just. It would, surely, have been infi- 
nitely better for those, who shall be doomed to the 
everlasting punishment of hell, never to have been 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 493 

born. But they will have nobody to blame for 
their ruin but themselves. The devil and wicked 
companions may have tempted them, but they 
could not force them to sin. Their departure from 
God and rebellion against his government were 
entirely voluntary, and their rejection of the gospel, 
which will be reckoned their most heinous trans- 
gression, was owing to their love of sin and enmity 
to God. 

Surely every one who stands exposed to such 
direful torments, and that to all eternity, must be 
in the " gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity. " 
And their misery is not lessened by their insensi- 
bility. In Bedlam you may see a man, who, in his 
insanity, fancies that he is a king, and that his rags 
are royal robes, and his straw-bed a gorgeous throne, 
but does any one envy his imaginary glory ? Can 
any one think his condition the better on account 
of this strange hallucination ? While the house is 
burning over his head, the owner may be fast 
asleep in his bed, but the sounder his sleep the 
greater the danger. He may awake when all 
opportunity of escape is cut off. Many of the 
wicked die without any fearful apprehension ; their 
minds are blinded by unbelief, and stupefied by 
long custom in iniquity. Their consciences are 
seared; and they have drunk in the opiate of infi- 
delity or universalism ; and either think that there 
is no hereafter, or if there is, that all will be happy 
in the future world. Can such a delusion be con- 
sidered any mitigation of the misery, when the 
moment after death, the irresistible light of eternity 
shines in upon them with insufferable brightness ? 



494 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

O what a pang of disappointment ! What a feeling 
of intense anguish, when hell is found to be a dread- 
ful reality; when the soul awakes to a full con- 
ception of its utterly undone and miserable condi- 
tion ! And what a prospect has the lost soul before 
it ? The day of judgment will indeed make a 
change ; but not for the better. On that day the 
shame and consternation of the sinner will be great 
beyond description. His evil doing will be held up 
to the view of the- assembled universe; and all his 
most secret and abominable sins will be exhibited 
in the light of that awful day. When the soul is 
again associated with the risen body, he will endure 
in both soul and body, agonies and torments which 
no form of words can fully express. Then will all 
the unbelieving be congregated in one immense 
mass, and will all receive according to their deeds. 
They will be arraigned and condemned out of the 
books which shall be opened. And at the close of 
the great assize, the august Judge will pronounce 
the sentence of eternal banishment upon the whole 
multitude : " Depart, accursed, into everlasting fire, 
prepared for the devil and his angels." And no 
sooner is the sentence pronounced, than execution 
follows. The vast multitude begin to move off — 
not to find a secure retreat — not to remain upon 
earth; but they go away into everlasting punish- 
ment. No wonder that the voice of mourning and 
wailing is heard — no wonder if the shriek of agony 
pierces the air. It is the voice of despairing mil- 
lions. It is the commencement of an agonizing cry 
which shall never cease. 

My dear hearers, if these things be so, ought we 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 495 

not to ask ourselves the solemn question, Are any 
of us now exposed to the misery which has been 
faintly described ? Are any of us, in this assembly, 
in the "gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity?" 
The question suggests another, Are any of you in 
an unconverted state? Are you living without 
God in the world? Are you still in love with sin? 
Is this world your chosen portion? Have you 
hitherto deferred your repentance? Have you 
turned a deaf ear to the call of the gospel, in which 
God has entreated you to be reconciled ? And if 
you should die to-night, does conscience tell you 
that you are unprepared for heaven ? Think then 
of your sad condition. There may be but a step 
between you and death ; and if you die in your sins, 
where Christ is, you never can come. And if not 
prepared for heaven, hell must be your portion. O, 
stop and consider. Pause before you take another 
downward step. It is not yet too late to turn and 
live; yea, the voice of God to you is, "Turn ye, 
turn ye, why w T ill ye die?" "Behold, now is the 
accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation." 
Seize the present moment. " To-day, if you will 
hear his voice, harden not your hearts." To- 
morrow it may be too late. 



SERMON XXXIII 



SPIRITUAL WORSHIP. 



We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit. 
Phil. iii. 3. 



Every thing around us shows that there is a God ; 
and that he is wise, and powerful, and good. And, 
from the sentiments of our own minds, we know 
that God approves of good conduct, and will punish 
evil doers. From his word, contained in the holy 
Scriptures, we learn that God is Almighty, and 
can do whatever he pleases; that he knows all 
things, and is perfectly acquainted with our most 
secret actions, and also with the thoughts and 
imaginations of our hearts; that he is with us 
wherever we are, and is a witness of every word 
which we speak, and of every thing which we 
do; and we cannot escape from his presence. 
How strongly and beautifully is this expressed in 
the 139th Psalm, " O Lord, thou hast searched me 
and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and 
up-rising ; thou understandest my thought afar off. 
Thou compassest my path, and my lying down, 
496 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 497 

and art acquainted with all my ways. For there 
is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou 
knowest it altogether." " Whither shall I go from 
thy Spirit, and whither shall I flee from thy pre- 
sence. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there ; 
if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in 
the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy 
hand lead me, and thy right hand hold me. If I 
say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the 
night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness 
hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the 
day. The darkness and the light are both alike to 
thee." 

The duty of worshipping God by praising him 
for his glorious perfections and wonderful works; 
by thanking him for the blessings, both temporal 
and spiritual, bestowed on us; and by confessing 
before him our dependence and sinfulness, and 
praying to him in humble confidence for such 
things as we need, is so evident to every serious 
mind, that it is unnecessary to spend time in 
proving it. The proper method of performing this 
duty, and the benefits to be expected from it, will 
be the subjects of consideration in this discourse. 

1. God should be worshipped with a knowledge 
of his true character. To worship our Creator 
without knowing what kind of a being he is, is to 
worship, like the Athenians, an " unknown God." 
This is the great fault of the heathen in their 
religion. They are very devout, and take great 
pains in their worship, but they know not the true 
character of God, and, therefore, they ascribe to the 

63 



498 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

imaginary beings whom they worship, the passions 
and frailties of men. Yea, they are so sottish as 
to bow down to stocks and stones, and pay their 
homage to gods of gold and silver, which their own 
hands have made. No service can be acceptable 
to God, which is not founded on a just knowledge 
of his character. To offer him worship, under a 
character the opposite of the true, is to offer an insult 
to the Most High. Hence, the great importance 
of religious knowledge ; and none of you can be 
at a loss where this knowledge may be obtained. 
The works of God in creation are set before your 
eyes. The sun, moon, and stars — the firmament — 
the light — the changing seasons — day and night — 
the trees of the forest, and the beasts which roam 
there — the birds of the air, and the fishes of the 
sea, all proclaim the power, wisdom, and goodness 
of the great Creator. But, we need go no further 
than to our own persons to behold the handiwork 
of God. If we look at our own bodies, and con- 
sider how curiously and wisely they are formed, 
having so many senses and members, and every 
thing adapted to a good purpose, and rightly 
placed, we may well adopt the language of the 
royal Psalmist in the same Psalm which we have 
already cited, "I am fearfully and wonderfully 
made." With such a manifestation of the perfec- 
tions of God set before our eyes, if we do not learn 
to know God, it is because we do not like to retain 
him in our knowledge, and are, therefore, without 
excuse. This, the apostle Paul assures us, was 
the true origin of idolatry, with all its vile abomi- 
nations. And O how stupid, and how inattentive 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 499 

to the works of God are most men, even in Chris- 
tian lands ! Many grow up to manhood, without 
ever reflecting seriously on these things, or ever 
raising their admiring thoughts to the great Author 
of the universe. As men desire not the knowledge 
of God, nor improve the opportunities of knowing 
him which they possess, it is just in him to leave 
them to their own chosen darkness, and to punish 
them for the enormous sins which they are con- 
stantly committing. Verily, " they are without 
excuse." 

But as man is a fallen creature, the mere know- 
ledge which reason can furnish is not sufficient. 
It does not reveal the mercy of God to sinners. 
It does not show how man can be reconciled to a 
holy God — how sin can be pardoned ; or how the 
corrupt nature of man can be purified, and be 
restored to the image of God which has been lost. 
Therefore, God in great mercy has made a further 
revelation of his character in his word. At a very 
early period of the world, he began to make com- 
munications to his chosen servants, and in the time 
of Moses these were committed to writing, and 
from time to time, inspired men were directed to 
add other books to the law given to Moses, until 
the canon of the Old Testament was finished by 
Malachi. Then, after four or five hundred years, 
Christ the promised Deliverer came, and taught 
the way of salvation much more clearly than any 
that went before him. And having died for our 
sins, and having risen again, he gave commmand- 
ment to his apostles, to go forth and instruct the 
world. And these holy men, like the ancient 



500 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

prophets, were inspired to write in books all that 
was needful for the instruction of the church, for 
all time to come. The writings of the apostles 
and their companions are found in the volume of 
the New Testament. From these two volumes, 
which make up the Bible, all needful informa- 
tion may be obtained. And so plain are the 
lessons of instruction here given, that " the way- 
faring man, though a fool, need not err therein." 
They who have access to the Bible, therefore, 
can have no excuse for not knowing God. Let 
them come to this sacred volume with an hum- 
ble, teachable disposition, and they will not 
go away disappointed. Persons of the weakest 
understanding may here become wise unto salva- 
tion. And if they learn the true character of 
God, as given by the unerring pen of inspira- 
tion, they will be led to worship him with know- 
ledge, and will be delighted to ascribe glory and 
honour, and praise and blessing to this august 
Being. 

2. God should be worshipped with reverence, 
or godly fear. It is natural when we come into 
the presence of one greatly our superior, to feel 
ourselves overawed. And if this feeling is experi- 
enced when we are brought into the presence of a 
man, how much more reasonable and proper when 
we draw nigh, in worship, to the great God. There 
is a slavish dread which leads men to flee from 
God ; and there is a blind superstitious fear which 
arises from erroneous views of his character ; but 
godly fear is so essential to true worship, that it is 
often in holy Scripture expressed by this word. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 501 

The wicked are described as having no fear of God 
before their eyes ; and the common character of the 
righteous is, " they that fear God." The fear of the 
Lord is, by several inspired writers, declared to be 
the beo-innin£ of wisdom. That God should be 
worshipped with reverence is the dictate of nature. 
All nations, when they worship, put themselves 
in an attitude of reverence. They bow their heads, 
fall upon their knees, or prostrate themselves on the 
ground. Indeed, the literal meaning of the word 
worship is, to bow down, or to lie prostrate. Every 
where in Scripture, worship is coupled with fear or 
reverence, so that where this is wanting, there is 
no true worship. God is a jealous God, and will 
not be mocked with the mere external forms of 
worship ; much less w r ill he accept that service 
which is prompted by pride and levity. " God is 
greatly to be feared in the assemblies of his saints, 
and to be had in reverence of all that are about 
him." " The Lord shall ye fear, and him shall ye 
worship." Reverence is represented as being most 
remarkable in the worship of heaven, where the 
most exalted among creatures veil their faces, and 
fall prostrate before the throne of the Almighty. 
The wise preacher has left us this precept : " Keep 
thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and 
be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of 
fools; for they consider not that they do evil." It 
seems, then, that a want of serious consideration is 
the common evil to which men are liable in attend- 
ing the worship of God. And it is shocking to 
behold the thoughtless levity with which many 
enter the place of worship, and the careless indiffer- 



502 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

ence which is manifested by the most. This is a 
great evil, but it is not laid to heart. Many feel 
that they have performed a meritorious act, when 
they have spent an hour in the house of God ; 
whereas God, who searcheth the heart, may know 
that they have not had one solemn impression of the 
divine presence in their minds during the whole 
time of their attendance on his worship. Reverence 
may be considered, therefore, as furnishing a crite- 
rion by which true religion may be distinguished 
from that which is spurious. False religion may 
have as much fervour as the true, but it is observ- 
able that the fear of God is not felt in the raptures 
of the fanatic or enthusiast. Such often affect a 
disgusting familiarity with their Maker, and use a 
liberty with him which would not be allowed 
towards an equal. Where religious feeling runs 
into excess and extravagance, there is always a 
defect of reverence for the presence of the divine 
Majesty. This feeling would overawe the mind, 
and preserve it from the indulgence and expression 
of human passions, in the way which is sometimes 
observed in worshipping assemblies. 

3. Humility is another ingredient in a truly 
devotional spirit, and it is a temper so essential in 
the worship of God, that whatever service is desti- 
tute of this property, and however costly it may be, 
and however exact in its conformity with the divine 
rule in other respects, yet in the sight of God 
instead of being a sweet savour, it will appear vile 
and abominable. For, we know, from the word of 
God, that nothing is more odious in his sight than 
pride ; and of all pride, religious pride is the most 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 503 

hateful. The parable of the Pharisee and the pub- 
lican was intended to inculcate this very thing. 
The Pharisee represents the proud worshipper, who 
makes a boast of his own performances, and of his 
superiority to other men ; the publican represents 
the humble penitent, who brings the sacrifice of a 
broken spirit; and we are taught emphatically, 
that " a broken and a contrite heart God will not 
despise/' There is no need here of making any 
distinction between the humble spirit and the peni- 
tent disposition. They are produced by the very 
same views; and, indeed, humility is an essential 
part of true repentance. This is the spirit which 
is more pleasing to God, than any other which he 
sees in the human heart ; and this is found in no 
heart but that which is renewed. " The Lord is 
nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and 
saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." " Thus 
saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the 
earth my footstool: where is the house that ye build 
me ? For all these things hath my hand made, and 
all these things have been, saith the Lord ; but to 
this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and 
of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." 
And again, " For thus saith the high and lofty one 
that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy : I 
dwell in the high and holy place, with him also 
that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the 
spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the 
contrite ones." " Blessed," says our Saviour, " are 
the poor in spirit," and " blessed are they that 
mourn." Thus we find in the Psalms, which 
furnish us with every variety in the frames of true 



504 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

worshippers, this spirit is strongly expressed in a 
large portion of them. That worshipper who 
approaches the throne of God, clothed with the 
modest robe of genuine humility, always meets 
with acceptance. Let us, then, worship the 
Almighty with an humble and contrite spirit; 
and let us seek after such a frame of mind more 
earnestly than after extatic delight, or overflowing 
joys. Set it down as undoubted truth, that in 
proportion as your views of the character of God 
are exalted and spiritual, you will be in the same 
proportion sunk down in deep abasement, from a 
view of your own vileness and unworthiness. And 
when you rise to join the worshippers in the courts 
above, this same sentiment of profound humility 
will accompany you, and you will feel that you 
are, in the presence of the Most High, less than 
nothing and vanity; and you will, with unceasing 
and unaffected humility, acknowledge your un- 
worthiness of the dignity to which you shall be 
advanced, and the happiness which there you will 
for ever enjoy. But the deeper your feelings of 
self-abasement, the more ardent and constant w r ill 
be the flow of your gratitude to Him that loved you 
and washed you in his own blood, and made you 
kings and priests unto God. 

4. But " without faith, it is impossible to please 
God ; for he that cometh unto him must believe 
that he is, and that he is the re warder of them who 
diligently seek him." Indeed, without faith all 
worship must be a mere empty form, and however 
decent and proper and orthodox this form may be 
in itself, in the sight of God it is no better than the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 505 

worship of idols. The exercise of faith in prayer 
is expressly required in many places of Scripture. 
Our Saviour attributes a mighty efficacy to prayer, 
offered up in faith. We must rely implicitly on 
the promises of God, believing assuredly, that what 
he hath said he will perform. The question is 
often asked, Ought we to believe, in every case, that 
what we ask, we shall receive ? To which it may 
be answered, that there was formerly a faith of 
miracles possessed by him who had the gift of 
miracles, and also by those, in most cases, in whose 
behalf the miracle was wrought. This was a full 
persuasion, that by the power of God the miracle 
would take place. But since miracles have ceased 
in the church, there is no room for faith of this 
kind. The confidence, or faith, which should now 
accompany prayer, is a full belief that whatever we 
ask in accordance with the will of God, will be 
granted. The divine promises should be our guide 
in offering up our petitions. But if we pray for 
blessings not specifically promised, we have no 
certain ground of confidence, that the blessing shall 
be given, for we do not know that it is agreeable to 
the will of God. But when we pray in humble 
submission to the will of God, believing that he 
will grant whatever is best, we may rest assured 
that our prayers will be answered, and that we 
shall receive the thing asked, or something as good 
or better. 

The principal exercise of faith in worship has 
respect to Jesus Christ, the divine Mediator. As 
guilty sinners, we cannot approach unto a just and 
holy God, in our own persons. We must draw near 

64 



506 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

in the name of him, whom God has appointed to 
be our great High Priest. As, under the Old 
Testament, no person could offer a sacrifice, but 
by the officiating priest ; so all our sacrifices must 
be offered through the High Priest of our profession. 
It is only through him, that any of our services can 
be acceptable. He must offer up our imperfect 
prayers and praises, giving them efficacy through 
his own precious merits. In our worship, then, we 
should eye constantly the Lord Jesus Christ as our 
Mediator, Advocate, and Intercessor, and expect 
acceptance only for his name's sake. 

It will be found profitable to furnish our minds 
with such promises of God as it may be proper to 
rely on, in our petitions, and which we may plead 
before the throne of grace. We cannot stand on 
more favourable ground, when we appear before 
God, than when we rest upon his own word. We 
should fill our mouths with arguments derived 
from his faithful promises, and then we shall be 
sure to prevail. " He cannot deny himself." He 
will never disappoint the hopes which rest upon 
his own word. 

But we should see to it, that our faith is scrip- 
tural in its nature, as well as in its object. It must 
not be a mere speculative assent, which is cold and 
ineffectual, but a spiritual, cordial persuasion of 
the truth as it is in Jesus. A true faith may be 
always known by this mark, that it " works by love 
and purifies the heart." 

5. God should be worshipped with the fixed 
attention of the mind, and with fervency of spirit. 
Spiritual worship is interrupted by nothing so 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 507 

much as the wandering of our thoughts. It is to 
be feared that the majority of worshippers have 
not their thoughts steadily directed to the great 
object of all true worship. They lay no restraint 
upon their thoughts, ever prone to wander : and 
when they stray they are not watchful and resolute 
to bring them back, and place them on the proper 
object. And even pious people are much to blame 
for negligence in this respect. They are, indeed, 
troubled when they seriously reflect upon the 
matter; but they are apt to forget the sinfulness of 
professing to worship God, while the heart is far 
from him. This is one of the accusations which 
God brings against his ancient people. " This 
people draw near me with their mouth, and with 
their lips do honour me, but have removed their 
heart far from me." 

Fervency of spirit is properly joined with fixed- 
ness of attention, for they go together, and recipro- 
cally influence each other. If the affections be 
lively they will carry the train of thought with 
them, and if the attention be steadily fixed on the 
object of worship, the affections will commonly be 
excited, and fervency of spirit enkindled. The 
offering of the affections of the heart is the soul of 
devotion. Such offerings alone will God accept. 
All external services without this, however solemn 
and decent, are as a smoke in his nostrils ; that is, 
they are abominable in his sight. The crying 
defect of our worship is the want of heart ; it is 
mere formalism, or hypocrisy. We should strive 
then to worship God in spirit, and this we can only 
do by the aid of the Holy Spirit. We should then 



508 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

be much concerned to have that blessed Monitor 
dwelling in ns, and abiding with ns at all times. 
Keep jour hearts with all diligence w T hen you 
engage in the worship of God, whether in public 
or private. Let your attention be fixed and your 
spirit fervent. 

6. God must be worshipped according to the 
Scriptures, by such rites and ceremonies only as 
he hath appointed, and not by forms and institu- 
tions of man's devising. As to the mere external 
circumstances of worship, as to time and place, and 
the position and attitude of the worshippers, they 
should be regulated by the apostle's comprehensive 
rule, " Let all things be done decently and in 
order." But as it relates to the worship itself, 
nothing should be introduced, but what is author- 
ized by the Scriptures, such as prayer, singing the 
praises of God, reading the Scriptures, and admin- 
istering the sacraments. " In vain do they worship 
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of 
men." 

Appointing rites and ceremonies belongs exclu- 
sively to the Head and King of the church. If 
men may decree one rite or ceremony, they may a 
thousand ; and by adopting this principle the Chris- 
tian church was from time to time burdened with 
ceremonies of man's devising, until her ritual was 
more burdensome than the ceremonial law of the 
Jews, and the ceremonies introduced often savoured 
of Paganism, and in fact, were adopted to conciliate 
Pagans and reconcile them to the church. But in 
regard to all these the challenge of God, who is 
jealous of his authority, is, " Who hath required 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 509 

this at your hands ?" It is of great importance to the 
spirituality of our worship that its simplicity and 
purity be preserved. Striking ceremonies may for a 
while attract attention, and make an impression on 
the feelings of the people, but the result will be, that 
their minds will be occupied with externals, and 
their confidence will be placed on these rites of 
human invention ; and faith and spirituality in the 
worship of God will be banished : which we see 
alas ! to be the fact, with those who have pursued 
this course. There is in human nature a constant 
tendency to lay much stress on mere externals. 
Even indifferent actions and signs after a while, 
acquire, in the view of men, a sacredness which 
only belongs to divine institutions ; and divine 
institutions themselves may be so observed that the 
external rite is substituted for the spiritual grace 
which it was merely intended to represent. 

7. Finally, God should be worshipped frequently 
and constantly. Men are not required to spend 
their whole time in the worship of God, because 
they have other duties incumbent on them, which, 
by the law of God, they are required to perform. 
But God should be worshipped daily, morning and 
evening; and the Lord's day should entirely be 
devoted to his service. In the temple, the daily 
sacrifices and the offering of incense, which services 
were accompanied by prayer and praise, by God's 
appointment took place every day, in the evening 
and the morning. And on the Sabbath the services 
were doubled, as this day was by the divine com- 
mandment to be sanctified by a rest from all world- 
ly labour and pursuits. We cannot go to an excess 



510 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

in the worship of God, "unless we make this duty 
exclude others which ought not to be neglected, 
Some persons may be so situated that they can 
devote their whole time to prayer, and other devo- 
tional exercises, as did the aged Anna, who spent 
all her time within the precincts of the temple, 
occupied in fasting and prayer. And some aged 
widows now might pursue a similar course. But 
all who have families and worldly occupations must 
attend not merely to one, but to the whole circle of 
prescribed duties, whether devotional or relative. 
I have read an anecdote of a woman in England, 
w r ho took up the opinion that her whole time ought 
to be spent in prayer, and she therefore entirely 
neglected her family and her domestic duties. A 
godly minister having heard of the case, visited the 
house, and seeing all things lying in filth and 
confusion, raised his voice and said, in an authori- 
tative tone, " Is there no fear of God in this house, 
that the care of the family is so neglected ?" Which 
cutting reproof had the effect of reclaiming the mis- 
guided matron from her error. But, in our day, 
there is little occasion to warn men against spend- 
ing too much time in devotional exercises ; espe- 
cially such as are private. There is more need to 
excite them to greater diligence in this highest and 
noblest employment in which a creature can be 
engaged. We find that the saints, of whom we 
read in Scripture, were accustomed to be frequent 
in their prayers. David says in one place, " Seven 
times a day do I praise thee, because of thy right- 
eous judgments;" and in another place, " Evening 
and morning and at noon will I pray." It was 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 511 

the custom of Daniel, from which no terrors could 
induce him to depart, to pray to God three times 
every day. 

Our prayers and praises should not only be 
frequent, but constant. It is asked, " Will the 
hypocrite always call on God?" Perseverance in 
prayer is much inculcated by our Lord and his 
apostles. Success is especially ascribed to earnest 
continuance in prayer, in the case of the oppressed 
widow, and the neighbour seeking a supply of 
bread to set before his friend. And the exhorta- 
tions of Paul are frequent and urgent on this point : 
" Pray without ceasing." " Be instant in prayer." 
" Pray every where, holding up holy hands." 
"And he (Christ) spake a parable to this end, that 
men ought always to pray and not to faint." 

1. From what has been said, we may infer, that 
under all dispensations and in all worlds, the highest 
duty of all rational creatures is, to worship God ; 
and that all who live in the neglect of divine wor- 
ship, are living in a state of rebellion against the 
King of heaven ; for they are constantly disobeying 
one of the fundamental laws of his kingdom, from 
the obligation of which there can be no dispensa- 
tion. Such are practical atheists, for they are 
" without God in the world." They are more inex- 
cusable than the speculative atheist, for he wor- 
ships not God, because he believes not in his 
existence ; but these believe, and yet refuse to 
worship. They are more irreligious than the 
heathen, for all these worship some sort of gods, 
and generally they are very devout in attendance 
on their superstitious services. 



512 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

What an unreasonable thing is it for a creature 
to refuse to worship his Creator, from whom he 
derives his being ! What base ingratitude is it to 
be receiving and using the blessings of a bountiful 
Providence, and yet never acknowledge the hand 
from which they proceed ! How preposterous and 
vain is the hope which such persons entertain, that 
when they die they shall go to heaven, since they 
have no taste for the exercises of heaven ! There 
God is worshipped without ceasing, by all the 
inhabitants of the place ; but what would they do 
in such a society, who always hated prayer and 
devotion? Their presence would disturb the 
harmony of the celestial songs. If by any acci- 
dent they could enter that high and holy place, 
it would be necessary immediately to cast them 
out. And they themselves would wish to depart, 
for the songs of saints and angels could afford 
no pleasure to those whose hearts are alienated 
from God, and who have no relish for devotional 
exercises. 

Again, it may be remarked, that if any are desirous 
of knowing how they may glorify God most effectu- 
ally, and most in accordance with his will, they can- 
not serve God better in any exercise, or in any way, 
than by sincerely engaging in his worship. In 
divine worship, the noblest exercises of the soul 
are elicited. Adoration, veneration, love, gratitude, 
joy, faith, repentance, humility, confidence, self- 
dedication, and hope, are all put into requisition. 
The more frequently, and the more purely we 
worship God, the more genuine piety is enkindled, 
and the more constantly will the holy flame be 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 513 

kept alive. And the livelier our spirit of devotion, 
the stronger will be the impulse which will bear 
us on in the performance of other good works. 
And this spirit, like leaven in the mass of meal, 
will pervade and sanctify all our other doings. 
If the Christian desires a happy life, let him culti- 
vate a devotional spirit. This is the instrument by 
which pure joy may be drawn from the fountain of 
living waters. Certainly, oar chief joy should be 
in God, and this joy of the Lord would be our daily 
strength. And in the dark and cloudy day of 
adversity, when thick clouds gather around us, and 
water-spouts burst upon us, and all his billows go 
over us, what will be our condition, unless we 
have a refuge from trouble in God ? And we can 
approach him only by the exercises and ordinances 
of devotion. If heaven be, as was said, a place of 
sublime devotion, then what better preparation can 
we make for an entrance into another world, than 
by cultivating the spirit of genuine devotion? If 
we find it to be our highest privilege and sweetest 
pleasure to draw near to God here in devotional 
exercises, we shall not be reluctant to be translated 
to that world, where we shall be able to worship 
him in perfection. 



65 



SERMON XXXIV. 



DIFFICULTY OF KNOWING OUR FAULTS. 



Who can understand his errors'! Cleanse thou me from secret 
faults. — Psa. xix. 12. 



The truths of the Bible are exactly suited to the 
mind of man. As soon as he begins seriously to 
read or hear the word, he experiences its penetrat- 
ing power. The conscience feels its operation as 
certainly as the eye perceives the light, or the ear 
the sound. And as men would know nothing of 
the appearance of the objects by which they are 
surrounded, until the light shines upon them, so 
the soul remains ignorant, in a great degree, of 
what is in it, until the word of God enters, and 
enlightens the chamber within. "The entrance 
of thy word giveth light." " The commandment 
of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." 

A small portion of light, it is said, only serves to 

render darkness more visible ; so, when the light of 

truth begins to penetrate the mind, it shows that 

there is within us a dark abyss ; and every addi- 

514 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 515 

tional ray discovers more of the intricate windings 
of the human heart; for there is not only dense 
darkness, but many false and deceitful appearances 
which turn out, upon accurate investigation, very 
different from what they seemed to be. It was 
some such view as this which caused the royal 
Psalmist to exclaim, " Who can understand his 
errors ? Cleanse thou me from secret faults." 
In the sequel of the discourse, I propose 

I. To inquire why it is so difficult to know our 
own faults. 

II. To consider the import of the prayer here 
uttered. 

In the holy Scriptures errors and sins signify 
the same thing. The very word which commonly 
is used to express the idea of sin, in both the origi- 
nal languages, literally signifies to miss a mark. It 
is a deviation from a right line. A law is repre- 
sented as a straight line, every crook, or departure 
from which is sin. " Sin is a transgression of the 
law." Therefore, " by the law is the knowledge 
of sin." All sin arises from some error or decep- 
tion of the mind ; for it is contrary to the constitu- 
tional principles of a rational nature to choose evil 
as evil. Every choice is necessarily of something 
which, for the present, has assumed the appearance 
of good, that is, something agreeable ; but sin is 
intrinsically and wholly evil; and, therefore, in 
order to be chosen, there must be some deception 
in regard to it. This might be forcibly illustrated 
by considering the circumstances of the first sin 
of man. But every one may be convinced that this 
is true by referring to his own experience, and 



516 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

recalling to memory the particular exercises of his 
mind when induced to commit sin. 

At any rate, in our text, the word " errors" means 
sins, for all will admit, that what the Psalmist prays 
to be cleansed from is sin, but in the original 
there is no other word to stand for sins ; the word 
faults being supplied by the translators. 

I. What I have proposed is, to assign some 
reasons for the difficulty, here implied, in knowing 
our sins. And it will be proper before going 
further, to make a distinction between knowing 
that a particular act is a sin, and perceiving the 
turpitude or moral evil that is in that act. The 
true evil of sin can only be known to those who 
are spiritually enlightened. 

1. The first reason which may be assigned for 
our knowing so little of ourselves is, that few 
acquire the habit of reflection. It is natural and 
easy to think on things without, which are the 
objects of our senses ; but to turn our mind in on 
itself and its operations, requires a painful effort ; 
especially at first. It seems to be an unnatural 
state of mind, and a running against the natural 
current of our thoughts. On this account, the 
number who have acquired the habit of looking 
within is small. 

2. Another cause of difficulty in obtaining the 
knowledge of our inner man is the fugitive 
nature of our thoughts, and the ever varying state 
of our emotions. Indeed, the very effort to inspect 
these mental exercises changes their nature, so that 
they are not the same as they were the moment 
before this effort was commenced. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 517 

3. There is in the human mind so great a ming- 
ling of different and even opposite feelings, that it 
is hard to separate things so blended together, and 
more difficult to ascertain the moral character of 
every emotion or desire. While some exercises of 
mind are morally good, and others morally evil, 
there is a large class which have no moral quality. 
They are merely natural or constitutional feelings; 
such as may exist in creatures which have no moral 
sense, and which are actually found in the inferior 
animals. But in man, as a moral agent, these 
animal feelings require to be restrained, directed, 
and governed ; and when this is neglected, or 
improperly performed, these same feelings, which, 
considered abstractly, have no moral quality, be- 
come an important part of man's moral character. 
Much of sin consists in the irregularity and excess 
of these constitutional propensities; and much of 
virtue in their proper government. 

Now, to discriminate between all the variety of 
emotions and exercises of our minds, and to form a 
correct estimate of the good and the evil, and to 
separate these from such as have no moral charac- 
ter, and to ascertain the degree of good or evil in 
any particular state of mind, is not an easy task. 

4. There is another constantly operative cause 
which prevents men from knowing their own 
errors. It is that false medium which pride and 
self-love produce, and through which their sins 
are either not perceived at all, or are not seen 
in their true colour and dimensions. Every one 
has observed how strangely self-conceit blinds the 
minds of men. And pride itself is nothing else but 



518 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

an erroneous estimate of ourselves : it is attributing 
to ourselves what does not belong to us, or forming 
too high an opinion of the worth of what we do 
possess. And as it magnifies our virtues, so it 
diminishes our faults; and thus men practise, 
habitually, upon themselves a grand deception ; 
thinking themselves to be something, when, in the 
sight of God, they are nothing. This deception 
they carry with them into religion, where its 
consequences are more injurious than any where 
else. " They justify themselves, and despise others." 
The language of their hearts is, " Stand by thy- 
self; I am holier than thou." Whole churches, 
like that of Laodicea, under this delusion of spirit- 
ual pride, are found to boast, " We are rich and 
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; 
and know not that they are poor and wretched, and 
miserable, and blind, and naked." The Pharisee 
described by our Lord, who came up to the temple- 
to pray, boasted of his moral and religious duties, 
but he made confession of no sin whatever. 

This blindness, the effect of pride and self-love, 
is as common now as ever. Even among those 
educated under the light of the gospel, it is most 
manifest. Men will, indeed, acknowledge in the 
general that they are sinners ; but when you come to 
particulars, they are prone to justify themselves in 
almost every thing. Even the wickedest boast that 
their hearts are good. Men may have been taught 
the doctrine of total depravity, but they are not 
convinced of it as a practical truth in relation to 
themselves. The pride of their heart blinds their 
eyes. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 519 

5. There is another consideration, closely allied to 
the last, which has a powerful tendency to prevent 
us from knowing our own sins. The discovery of 
sin produces remorse, which is not only a painful 
feeling, but a more intolerable pain than any of 
which the human soul is susceptible, as far as our 
experience goes. And a sight and sense of sin 
not only produces remorse, but " a fearful looking 
for of judgment and fiery indignation." Men 
naturally avert their eyes from objects which are 
sure to excite painful feelings. This is one great 
reason why so many persons neglect the Bible, and 
never seriously look into their own hearts. It is 
the constant effort of their lives to keep out the 
light of divine truth from their minds. The bustle 
of business, or the round of amusements is kept 
up to free the mind from the intrusion of unwel- 
come thoughts, relating to God and to eternity. 
And if the secret motives which lead to the adop- 
tion of soul-destroying error were scrutinized, it 
would be found that the desire to escape from the 
uneasy feelings which the truth produces in the 
mind, has had a chief influence in rendering infi- 
delity, or fundamental error, acceptable to the mind. 
" Men love darkness rather than light, because their 
deeds are evil." And when men deliberately 
reject the truth, they are often abandoned to believe 
a lie, as a judgment for not loving to retain God in 
their knowledge. 

6. Another cause of erroneous notions respecting 
our own character is, the habit of looking at our- 
selves through the medium of the flatteries and 
praises of others. When persons are in exalted 



520 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

stations, or called to the performance of public 
duties, they often excite the admiration of their 
fellow-men, especially of those who are below them, 
and, of course, their ears are filled with the com- 
mendation of their admirers. Others who wish to 
gain the favour of their fellow-men make use ot 
base flattery, extolling them for virtues and talents 
which they do not believe they possess. Now, 
though a person may be conscious that he does not 
deserve these praises, yet such is the infatuating 
influence of self-love, that he is gratified that others 
entertain so high an opinion of him ; and at length 
he begins to conceit that the qualities ascribed to 
him by his admirers and flatterers do really belong 
to his character. This is often clearly manifested 
when the man is thrown upon his own defence. 
He then appeals to public opinion, and seems to 
regard that as the true standard by which his cha- 
racter should be estimated. He comes at length 
actually to view himself through the medium of 
other men's opinions. 

7. Another reason why men so commonly remain 
ignorant of themselves is, that they get into the 
habit of comparing themselves with others around 
them ; and because they observe many addicted to 
crimes of which they are not guilty, they draw the 
conclusion that they are better than most; and 
adopt the opinion that their faults are trivial, and 
their characters uncommonly excellent. The apos- 
tle Paul notices and rebukes this fallacious method 
of judging. "For," says he, "we dare not make 
ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with 
some that commend themselves : but thev measur- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 521 

ing themselves by themselves, and comparing 
themselves among themselves, are not wise." We 
are very incompetent judges of the real moral 
character of others. God only knows how to esti- 
mate the true character of man. That often which 
is highly esteemed by men is an abomination in 
his sight, and whatever others may be, whether 
better or worse than ourselves, it alters not our 
character. This remains the same as if no other 
sinner was in existence. 

8. Finally, on this head, the great source of 
error is not knowing, or not applying to ourselves, 
the true standard of rectitude. " By the law is the 
knowledge of sin." Of the extent of the demands 
of this law, and of the spiritual nature of the obedi- 
ence which it requires many remain ignorant; or 
if they theoretically understand the nature of the 
precepts of the law, they do not apply this standard 
to their own hearts and lives. This was Paul's 
case before his conversion ; for he says, " I was 
alive without the law once." In this state of ignor- 
ance and carelessness, men remain until the Spirit 
of God convinces them of sin by the application of 
the law to the conscience ; when new light breaks 
in upon them, and they who before thought their 
sins were few and venial, now behold them rising 
up in dreadful array, an exceeding great multitude 
and very heinous in their nature. Then the con- 
vinced sinner is made to cry out, " Who can under- 
stand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret 
fa alts." 

Some of the sins of the heart may have taken 
deep root, and may exist in great force, and yet 

66 



522 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

may not lead to external acts which are manifestly 
criminal. In such cases the moral turpitude of the 
mental disposition is often unnoticed ; and when 
such sins have been habitually indulged, constant 
familiarity with them blinds the mind in regard to 
their evil. 

Thus avarice, pride, envy, and ambition may 
have predominant influence in the mind, and yet 
the person under their dominion may, from pruden- 
tial and selfish considerations, avoid external acts 
of enormity, and conform externally to the rules of 
justice and morality. Such are esteemed to be 
moral men, and maintain a good character in the 
sight of men. Being restrained from open trans- 
gression, they are very apt to entertain a high 
opinion of their own goodness ; and at any rate to 
remain ignorant of the depraved state of their 
hearts, which are uniformly under the influence 
of such affections and principles as the law of God 
condemns. 

If the hearts of many, who boast of their morality, 
were laid open to public view, how much abomin- 
able impurity and iniquity would .be seen, even in 
those who wear externally the garb of modesty and 
decency ! 

1. If it be so difficult to know the moral state of 
our own hearts, we should be led to a more constant 
watchfulness over our own thoughts and feelings. 
We should also be in the habit of daily self-exami- 
nation. And as we cannot judge correctly without 
having in our minds the true standard to which we 
ought to be conformed, we must become intimately 
acquainted with the word of God. We should 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 523 

be careful to adopt just ideas of the spiritual charac- 
ter of the law, and to view it as extending to the 
thoughts — to the tempers — to the desires and emo- 
tions, and to the most secret motives of our conduct, 
and to sins of omission as well as of commission. 

2. Knowing the treachery of the heart, and the 
many hindrances which stand in the way of 
acquiring a knowledge of our sins, we should inces- 
santly and importunately pray to God who alone 
possesses a perfect knowledge of the heart to search 
and try us, and see whether any wicked disposition 
is yet indulged ; and so to convince us of our sins, 
that we may be brought to that state of contrition 
and humility, which is the temper and state most 
becoming such imperfect creatures. 

II. We come now, in the second place, to con- 
sider the import of the prayer here uttered. The 
prayer is for deliverance, not only from known sins, 
but also from such as were hidden. There are two 
kinds of cleansing or purification ; the one is from 
guilt by expiation ; the second from inherent pollu- 
tion by sanctification. As sin is condemned by the 
law of God, and conscience, as far as it is informed, 
is an echo of the law, every sinner convinced of his 
sin must feel a sense of guilt, or which is the same 
thing, a sentence of condemnation within himself. 
This burden he can by no means remove, by any 
acts of new obedience, or by any voluntary suffer- 
ings to which he may submit. Rivers of waters 
may run down his cheeks, but sorrow for his sins 
cannot cleanse him from the deep stain which sin 
has left behind it. He may possibly forget that he 
is lying under a sentence of condemnation. He may 



524 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

even persuade himself that the fact is not so ; that 
the idea of his obligation to obey the law is a mere 
fiction. Or he may adopt the opinion that pardon 
is easily obtained, and, therefore, he need give him- 
self no concern about the penalty of the divine 
law. But all these false notions, being in direct 
opposition to the clearest dictates of his own con- 
science, are not accompanied with complete assur- 
ance ; and he is still liable to be disturbed and 
alarmed by the voice of conscience ; especially 
when overtaken by sickness, or some other calamity. 
Nothing can produce permanent peace of conscience 
but that which provides an atonement which will 
be a complete satisfaction to law and justice. On 
this account the conscience can be cleansed from 
guilt by nothing but the blood of Christ. 

Here is the expiatory fountain in which the house 
of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem may be 
washed from all their uncleanness. And such is 
the efficacy of this fountain of blood, that the 
greatest sinner may here be cleansed from all his 
guilt. The most heinous sins are perfectly cleansed 
by the application of the blood -of Jesus. "His 
blood cleanse th from all sin." No greater sin can 
easily be conceived of than the murder of our 
Lord, but many involved in the guilt of this crime 
were pardoned on the day of Pentecost. And 
when the risen Saviour gave instructions to his 
apostles to preach repentance and remission of sins 
to all nations, they were directed to begin their 
ministry at Jerusalem. Paul reckons himself to be 
the chief of sinners ; yet he was assured that he 
had found mercy. And in writing to the Corin- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 525 

thian converts, he gives a black catalogue of crimes, 
and says, "Such were some of you, but ye are 
washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of the 
Lord." 

There is, indeed, one sin which is declared un 
pardonable ; but not, as we suppose, on account of 
any want of efficacy in the blood of Christ to 
remove its guilt, but because those guilty of it are 
never brought to repentance. This cleansing from 
guilt in Scripture is called justification; and this 
blessing is received no otherwise than by faith. 
This doctrine is most clearly set forth by Paul, in 
the following words: " Being justified freely by his 
grace through the redemption that is in Christ 
Jesus ; whom God has set forth to be a propitiation 
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteous- 
ness for the remission of sins that are past, through 
the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this 
time his righteousness, that he might be just, and 
the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus." 

This blessing David most earnestly prayed for 
in the time of his deep penitence and humiliation, 
or account of his great sin in the case of Uriah. He 
cries, " Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, 
and cleanse me from my sin" — " Purge me with 
hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be 
whiter than snow." 

As it is said, " Cursed is every one that continu- 
eth not in all things written in the book of the law 
to do them;" and as God has repeatedly declared, 
that he will render to every man according to his 
works, it is plain that the guilt of every man must 



526 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

be very great. And as many of our sins are secret, 
unknown to our fellow-men, and many hidden from 
our own view, the petition to be cleansed from such 
sins is one w T hich it behoves every person con- 
tinually to offer. Our sins are compared in number 
to the hairs of our head, and to the sand on the 
sea-shore, and there is not one of this great multi- 
tude which, if it should remain unpardoned, would 
not be sufficient to shut the soul out of heaven and 
sink it to hell. How great, then, is the need of 
pardon ! How many are the sins both known and 
unknown, for which pardon must be received, or 
the sinner perish ! Besides, every day we are com- 
mitting sins which are prevented from bringing us 
again into condemnation by nothing else but the 
sprinkling of atoning blood. " Let us," says Paul, 
" draw near w T ith a true heart, in full assurance of 
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con- 
science, and our bodies washed with pure water." 
Here we have the two identical blessings prayed 
for in the text, brought fully into view. 

The cleansing for which the Psalmist so earnestly 
prayed, includes substantially all that the sinner 
needs in order to his salvation ; all the rich blessings 
of the new covenant. If he is cleansed from guilt 
by the blood of sprinkling, and from pollution by 
the washing of regeneration and renewing of the 
Holy Ghost, there is nothing to hinder his entrance 
into heaven, and his enjoying the blessedness of 
that holy place. For those who are cleansed by the 
process which the gospel prescribes are free from 
every stain. Though their sins were as scarlet, 
they are made white as snow ; though they were 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 527 

red like crimson, they are as wool. Christ, 
the great Purifier, will present them before his 
Father's throne without spot or wrinkle, or any 
such thing. Certainly, then, our prayers for this 
double cleansing should be fervent and incessant. 
And unless we receive this cleansing of our souls 
from secret sins, and all manner of sin, our con- 
dition through eternity will be one of extreme 
misery and degradation. That burden of guilt 
which the forbearance of God alone keeps from 
crushing the impenitent sinner, will fall with all 
its dreadful weight on the gospel rejecter, and will 
sink him to the lowest hell. It will be more tolerable 
for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, 
than for him. Let him, then, fly speedily from the 
wrath to come. Let him make his escape to the 
appointed house of refuge, where he will find 
shelter from every storm, and safety from every 
danger. Let him come near to the cross, and direct 
his eyes to the Saviour, lifted up for his salvation. 

But the soul not only needs to be cleansed by 
the blood of Christ from the stain of guilt, but 
being internally polluted, must be washed with the 
washing of regeneration, and renewed by the renew- 
ing of the Holy Ghost. Pollution has defiled all 
the powers of the soul, and for this there is no 
remedy but in the " sanctiflcation of the Spirit." 
This cleansing is begun when the first ray of divine 
light is let in to the dark mind of the sinner. Be- 
fore, he knew not the turpitude of his sins. Indeed, 
until this time, he took little notice of the moral 
state of his heart. If he could keep up a decent 
external behaviour, he was satisfied with himself. 



528 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

But now his eye is turned inward, and the heart 
which he had often boasted to be pure, he finds to 
be corrupt, " deceitful above all things, and desper- 
ately wicked.' 7 In his first concern, he hoped to 
be able to do something to cleanse himself. By 
prayers, by penances, and external reformation, 
many have, as it were, cleansed the outside of the 
cup and platter ; but their inward part was still full 
of the pollution of sin. And even when the evil 
of the heart begins to be discerned, the whole depth 
of the evil is not seen. There are still many hidden 
iniquities, " secret faults," which conceal them- 
selves in the deep recesses and intricate windings of 
the deceitful heart. Sin often assumes the guise 
of virtue and innocence, or presents such pallia- 
tions and excuses as seem to lessen its turpitude. 
The more spiritual light any man enjoys, the more 
sensible is he of the wickedness of his own heart. 
It may be compared to a dark chamber, full of 
abominations. Until light is let in these odious 
objects are not seen, but as soon as a single ray is 
darted in upon them, they begin to be seen in their 
deformity. While the light is partial, the whole 
will not be perceived; every new ray of light 
reveals something not before discovered. Thus it 
is with the renewed man : the further he advances 
in piety, the deeper is his sense of the want of 
purity in his heart. So far is he from entertaining 
the vain conceit that he is already perfect or 
approaching near perfection, that it is difficult for 
him to conclude that he is not, every day, growing 
worse. And it is on this account especially, that 
the pious are so often mistaken in regard to their 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 529 

real progress in piety. But the more we see of our 
own sinfulness, the more intense will be our desires 
for cleansing. Indeed, all spiritual exercises will 
bear an exact proportion to our sense of the " ex- 
ceeding sinfulness of sin." This conviction fills 
the soul with penitence, and humbles it in the dust 
before God ; and at the same time drives it to the 
fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. Though 
the efficient power by which the soul is purified is 
the Holy Spirit, yet means are not on this account 
rendered superfluous. God works commonly by 
appropriate means, both in the world of nature and 
of grace. The word of God, or divine truth, is 
necessary in this operation. The rational soul to 
act right must have the knowledge of the truth, and 
God's word contains the truth. If we hope for 
cleansing, we must look for it by means of the 
divine word. The intercessory prayer of our 
Saviour was, and no doubt still is, " sanctify them 
through thy truth, thy word is truth." The ordi- 
nance of baptism is a visible representation of the 
purification of the soul. Therefore, it is said, 
" Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he 
cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." The 
washing of the body in the baptismal water is, 
therefore, referred to when the internal cleansing 
of the soul is meant; as in the text already quoted, 
in which the double cleansing by blood and water 
is mentioned — " Having our hearts sprinkled from 
an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with 
pure water." The connexion between the word 
and the sanctification of the soul is clearly manifest 
from the exhortation of Paul to the Corinthians : 

67 



530 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

" Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, 
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh 
and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 
And more clearly still in Ephes. v. 25, 26, " Even 
as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, 
that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the wash- 
ing of water by the word." Peter also connects 
increase of holiness with the knowledge of the 
truth, when he says, " Grow in grace, and in the 
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." The im- 
portance of prayer for the aids of the Holy Spirit 
is evident from the earnest petition in our text, and 
from many other similar prayers in the Psalms : 
" Wash me throughly from my iniquity, and 
cleanse me from my sin." " Purge me with 
hyssop, and I shall be clean ; wash me, and I shall 
be whiter than snow." 

In conclusion, it may be remarked, 

1. That the best evidence of the existence of a 
holy nature, is the sincere and prevailing desire of 
perfect holiness. " Blessed are they that hunger 
and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be 
filled." The love of holiness is "the same as the 
love of the law. Says the royal Psalmist, " O how 
love I thy law." " I esteem all thy precepts, con- 
cerning all things to be right, and hate every false 
way." The language of Paul, and of every re- 
newed heart is, " I delight in the law of God after 
the inner man." 

2. The evidence of a gracious state is not the 
persuasion that the object sought is fully attained, 
but an ardent, habitual desire to reach it. " Not 
as though I had already attained, or were already 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 531 

perfect," says Paul ; " but this one thing I do ; for- 
getting those things which are behind, I press 
forward to those things which are before, for the 
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus ;" 
endeavouring, through the Spirit, " to mortify the 
deeds of the body," and " to perfect holiness in the 
fear of God." 

3. When, on account of sin, the conscience is 
again burdened and wounded, recourse must be 
had to the same " blood of sprinkling" which 
afforded relief at first. No peace can be found 
any where else. Penances, and pilgrimages, and 
multiplied religious ceremonies and works can do 
nothing toward procuring true peace of conscience. 
Faith in Christ, a believing view of the cross, is 
the only remedy for guilt. " My little children," 
says John, " sin not; but if any man sin, we have 
an Advocate with the Father, who is the propitia- 
tion for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the 
sins of the whole world." Let the believer, then, 
learn to live near the cross, and often look by faith 
on the bleeding sacrifice of " the Lamb of God, 
which taketh away the sin of the world." 

4. We must not forget that many of our sins are 
hidden from ourselves. For these we should seek 
for pardon and purification. Though we cannot 
repent of these in detail, we can in the general. 
We can repent of the sin of our nature, commonly 
called original sin, from which all actual transgres- 
sions proceed. But it behoves us to be diligent and 
faithful in searching for our secret sins, that when 
discovered we may apply to the mercy of God for 
pardon and cleansing. 



532 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

5, The neglect of secret sins often leads to the 
commission of presumptuous sins. By degrees the 
concealed poison gathers strength, until at last, on 
some favourable occasion, it exerts its power and 
breaks out into overt acts, and for a season, at least, 
gains dominion over the man. Such, falls in pro- 
fessors open the mouths of the wicked, and give 
them occasion to blaspheme that holy religion 
which they profess. 



SERMON XXXV. 



GOD S GRACE SUFFICIENT. 



My grace is sufficient for thee. — 2 Cor. xii. 9. 



The apostle Paul, though not inferior to the other 
apostles in gifts and plenary inspiration, and in 
labours and success more abundant than them all, 
was nevertheless subject to like infirmities, pas- 
sions, and temptations as other men. He had, 
indeed, received larger supplies of grace than most 
others, but this did not render him in any degree 
independent and self-sufficient, nor exempt him at 
all from those conflicts and temptations which are 
commonly experienced in the Christian warfare ; 
nor from the need of those means of improvement 
which a gracious God has appointed for the preser- 
vation and edification of his people while sojourn- 
ing upon earth. We find him, therefore, much 
given to prayer, and often requesting the prayers 
of others in his behalf; also observing a rigid 
discipline toward himself, in keeping his body 
under, lest while he preached to others, he himself 
should be a castaway. 

533 



534 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Paul was favoured with very full revelations of 
gospel truth, without being dependent on the teach- 
ing of men. In this respect his preparation for .the 
work of the ministry was peculiar ; the ascended Sa- 
viour himself condescended to become his Teacher. 
He was also favoured with frequent visions, and with 
the knowledge of the future destinies of the church. 
On one occasion he was caught up to Paradise and 
to the third heavens, where he heard things which 
it was not lawful for a man to utter. By this hea- 
venly rapture, the faith of the apostle must have 
been greatly strengthened, and his desire of a con- 
stant participation of the joys of heaven, rendered 
very intense. But such is the infirmity of even 
the holiest men, and such the tendency to self- 
exaltation, that the enjoyment of any high privi- 
lege, or the reception of any distinguishing honour, 
is apt to puff up the mind, and produce a degree of 
self-exaltation ; or, at any rate, of self-complacency. 
Paul the apostle was not exempt from the danger 
of being exalted above measure by his abundant 
revelations, therefore his divine Master put him, 
by w r ay of prevention, upon a course of painful 
discipline. He sent him " a thorn in the flesh, a 
messenger of Satan, to buffet him." "Whatever 
might be the precise nature of the apostle's afflic- 
tion, we know that it gave him much uneasiness : 
for he prayed, not merely once or twice, but thrice 
that it might be removed. His prayer was heard 
and answered, but not in the way which he desired ; 
but in one w r hich seemed better to infinite wisdom. 
The thorn w T as not removed, but God said, " My 
grace is sufficient for thee." By which answer he 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 535 

was assured, that he should be supported under the 
severe trial which he felt to be so grievous ; and, 
doubtless, he might infer from this answer, that 
benefit might be derived from the affliction laid 
upon him. 

There is not a word in the whole vocabulary, 
of richer import than the word grace. It expresses 
the beginning, the middle, and the end of man's 
salvation. It was grace, that is, "undeserved love 
or favour which moved the eternal mind to devise 
the plan of redemption. It was grace which 
designated the persons who should be made par- 
takers of salvation. It was grace which induced 
the Son of God to condescend to become man, and 
to become "obedient unto death" — thus offering 
himself an expiatory sacrifice for our sins. " Ye 
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became 
poor, that we through his poverty might be made 
rich." It was grace which caused the church to 
be founded, means of salvation to be established, 
and the gospel to be preached. It is grace which 
brings down the Holy Spirit to enlighten to regene- 
rate, to sanctify, to comfort, and to conduct trium- 
phantly to heaven the redeemed heirs of glory. 
And it will be grace which will crown with ever- 
lasting felicity, all those who have " an abundant 
entrance administered to them, into the everlasting 
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 
As the foundation of the spiritual temple of the 
Lord was laid in grace, or the love of God ; so the 
top stone shall be brought forth with the shouting, 
" Grace, grace unto it." 



536 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Although the words of our text were primarily 
addressed to Paul for his support and encourage- 
ment ; yet they were recorded in the sacred volume, 
that we also might derive consolation from them ; 
for they are equally suited to the case of every 
believer ; and " those things that were written afore- 
time were written for our learning, that we through 
patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have 
hope." It will not, therefore, be a departure from 
the spirit of the text to consider these words as 
containing a promise from God to all believers, that 
God will never leave them nor forsake them ; but 
that in all exigencies, and under all trials, his grace 
shall be afforded in sufficient measure to enable 
them to perform the duties which may devolve 
upon them ; or to sustain with patience and forti- 
tude the burdens which they may, under the dis- 
pensations of Providence, be called to bear. 

Our object in the remainder of this discourse, 
therefore, shall be to apply the promise to believers 
in those circumstances in which they specially 
need comfort and encouragement. 

1. In the first place, then, the words may be 
applied to such as are labouring under a convic- 
tion of sin, and are oppressed with a sense of guilt. 
Whether such have already believed or not, there 
is encouragement in these words to induce them to 
embrace the promise ; for the fountain of grace is 
so rich, that there is no possibility of its being 
exhausted ; and so free, that all are invited to come 
and take of the waters of life. To an awakened 
conscience, the recollection of past sins, with all 
their aggravations, is exceedingly painful and 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 537 

terrifying. To them the judgment day presents 
a scene awfully alarming. And the language of 
their hearts is, "What must I do to be saved?" 
To all who are thus pursued by the demands of the 
law, and the upbraidings of conscience, I would 
say, You need not despair. There is hope in your 
case. The gospel brings you glad tidings. The 
burden of its message is, salvation by grace — " grace 
abounding to the chief of sinners" — " grace reign- 
ing" through righteousness, unto eternal life." " Be- 
lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be 
saved." To all who are bowed down under the 
burden of their sins, I am authorized to preach the 
sufficiency of divine grace for their complete par- 
don, and perfect justification from all the demands 
of the law. Sinners who are at ease in Zion, and 
" alive without the law," persuade themselves that 
it is an easy thing to obtain pardon and reconcilia- 
tion with God; not from any exalted estimation 
which they entertain of the grace of the gospel, but 
from their very low estimate of the evil and ill- 
desert of their sins ; and of the spirituality and 
binding obligation of the law. But when the light 
of conviction breaks in upon their minds, and they 
are made to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and 
the infinite holiness of God ; and that " the law is 
holy, and the commandment holy and just and 
good," the humbled and contrite sinner can with 
difficulty be induced to believe that a holy God can, 
consistently, extend favour to such a guilty crea- 
ture ; or that such sins as his can be forgiven by a 
God of infinite holiness. They, who are thus con- 
vinced of the demerit of their sins, are precisely in 

68 



538 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the situation most favourable to the reception of the 
gospel. They are the sick who need the Physician. 
All who ever believed have been placed in similar 
circumstances. God condescends kindly to reason 
with such, " Though your sins be as scarlet, they 
shall be white as snow; though they be red like 
crimson, they shall be as wool." " It is a faithful 
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus 
Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom 
(says Paul) I am chief.' 7 " The blood of Christ 
cleanseth from all sin." And " He is able to save 
to the uttermost all who come unto God by him ; 
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for 
them." 

2. Again, these words are calculated to afford 
comfort and encouragement to such as are strug- 
gling with the inbred corruptions of their own 
hearts, and with the temptations of the wicked one ; 
who feel " another law in their members, warring 
against the law of their mind ;" " the flesh lusting 
against the spirit;" "so that when they would do 
good," evil is present with them"— tending to bring 
them again into captivity to the law of sin and 
death; so that their feelings are expressed by 
groanings, which cannot be uttered. And when 
they cry, their language is, " O wretched man that 
I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this 
death!" 

Now, although in this conflict between the old 
and new man, human strength is weakness, yet, 
when we feel our weakness most, we are strong in 
the Lord, for " His strength is perfected in our 
weakness." What Christ said to Peter, in the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 539 

view of his temptation and fall, may be applied to 
every humble penitent ; " I have prayed for thee, 
that thy faith fail not." Were it not for his inter- 
cessory prayers in our behalf, we could not hold 
out in opposition to any powerful temptation. 
That he does thus intercede for all believers, in all 
ages, we know from the prayer which he offered for 
for them while upon earth : " I pray not that thou 
shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou 
shouldst keep them from the evil which is in the 
world." 

3. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be 
sufficient to support and comfort believers under 
the severest trials, the heaviest afflictions, and most 
violent temptations, to which they may be subjected. 
Afflictions are the lot of the people of God in 
this world. It is written, " Many are the afflic- 
tions of the righteous;" "they who live godly 
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution;" and, 
"through much tribulation we must enter the 
kingdom." As Christ was, all his life, a sufferer, 
" a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," his 
disciples should calculate upon having the same 
lot in the world as their Master. Indeed, this 
seems to be made a condition of our participating 
of his glory. " If we suffer with him, we shall also 
reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny 
us." But human strength cannot bear up under 
these calamities. We need help. We must have 
an almighty arm on which to lean. Christians 
have suffered inconceivable agonies in the times of 
persecution ; which they endured even unto death, 
and that too in the most cruel forms. But they were 



540 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

sustained by an unseen hand. Christ never for- 
sakes his followers in the time of their distress ; and 
the Holy Spirit will not leave them comfortless. 
Their richest joys are sometimes experienced in 
the midst of the furnace of affliction. When the 
three children were seen walking unhurt in the 
midst of the fiery furnace, there was seen one like 
to the Son of man in their company. It was verily 
the Son of man himself; and this was written for 
our learning, that we might trust to his presence 
and aid in the hottest fire of persecution. His 
promise is, " My grace is sufficient for thee." Even 
in death we need not fear ; for " precious in the sight 
of the Lord, is the death of his saints." And a royal 
saint of old sweetly sang, in the view of this termi- 
nation of human, life, " Though I walk through the 
valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil; thy 
rod and thy staff they comfort me." 

A lively faith in the realities and glories of the 
heavenly inheritance will disarm death of all its 
terrors, and cause us to think all our afflictions 
light and of momentary duration. Thus the 
matter appeared to Paul : " These light afflictions 
which are but for a moment, work out for us a far 
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While 
we look not at the things w T hich are seen, but at 
the things which are unseen ; for the things which 
are seen are temporal, but the things that are not 
seen are eternal." It is faith that gives the victory 
over the world, whether it assails the Christian by its 
blandishments or by its terrors. And this victory 
it achieves, through the grace of Christ, by bring- 
ing the unseen world into view. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 541 

4. But grace is requisite to enable us to act, as 
well as to suffer. Arduous duties are incumbent 
on the Christian. He is placed and continued here 
to glorify his Maker and Redeemer, to benefit his 
fellow-creatures, and to secure the salvation of his 
own soul. The performance of duty often requires 
strong resolution, and much painful self-denial in 
the disciple of a crucified Redeemer. Some are 
called of God to the arduous work of the gospel 
ministry, for which no human wisdom, or human 
power is sufficient. " "Who is sufficient for these 
things?" But Christ has promised to be with his 
ministers "always to the end of the world." We 
are commanded, indeed, "to be strong," but not 
in our own might, but " in the power of the Lord." 

Some are called in the Providence and by the 
Spirit of God to forsake father, mother, brothers 
and sisters, and to bid adieu to their own native 
land, and beloved country, to spend their days 
among the uncivilized heathen, subjected to many 
privations, and exposed to numerous dangers from 
a savage people, and from a deleterious climate. 
But they need not be dismayed ; their Master will 
accompany them, and he says, " My grace is suffi- 
cient for thee." 



REFLECTIONS. 

1. How truly blessed are they who have obtained 
an interest in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ ; 
and how solicitous should we all be to have this 
matter placed on a secure foundation. . All his 



542 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

people may confidently say, " The Lord is my 
Shepherd, I shall not want." 

2. Christians should habituate themselves to con- 
fide implicitly, under all circumstances of affliction, 
and in the performance of all arduous duties, on 
the all-sufficient grace of Christ. It will ever be to 
them according to their faith. But if they are 
doubtful of his aid, and distrust his promises, the 
consequences will be unfavourable. What Christ, 
above all things, demands of his followers is, that 
they trust him. 

3. All who have been made partakers of the 
grace of God, are bound to exercise unceasing 
gratitude for such unmerited favour. If you have 
been chosen unto life eternal, it was to magnify his 
glorious grace. If your sins are pardoned, and 
your persons accepted and justified, it is by the 
grace of God in Christ. If you have been regene- 
rated and made partakers of the divine nature, it is 
not by works of righteousness which you have done, 
but by his grace that you are saved. Even the 
chief of sinners, who believe in Christ, may exult 
in the unsearchable riches of his grace. Where 
sin abounded, grace shall much more abound. 
Thanks be unto God for the unspeakable gift of his 
grace ! Amen. 



SERMON XXXVI. 



THE DYING MARTYR S PRAYER. 



Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. — Acts vii. 59. 



As death is inevitable, and as none who die return 
to give us any account of their condition in a future 
world, and as reason cannot penetrate the gloom 
which hangs over the grave, it is a matter of rejoic- 
ing that we are in possession of a well-attested 
revelation, which contains all the information which 
we need, in regard to the future destiny of man. 
Even under the old dispensation, although believers 
enjoyed a glimmering light respecting a future state, 
yet the light was by no means clear ; a mysterious 
darkness enshrouded the state of the dead. But 
since the coming of Christ, that which was before 
obscure has become bright. " Life and immortality 
are brought to light by the gospel." The resurrec- 
tion of Jesus Christ sealed the instructions which he 
had given on this point. We know that as surely 
as he lives, in another world, so surely his disciples 
will live also, and be with him where he now is. 
His immediate followers, therefore, had no fears of 

543 



544 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

the future; they contemplated death as a kind 
friend, sent to release them from a world of sin and 
sorrow. The curse was taken away ; the sting was 
plucked out; the victory was wrested from this 
universal conqueror. 

To illustrate these remarks, I would refer you to 
the example of the first death which occurred among 
Christ's sincere disciples after his resurrection. I 
mean that of Stephen, the proto-martyr ; for although 
we read of the awful end of two professed disciples, 
Ananias and Sapphira, before the martyrdom of 
Stephen, yet we know that their profession was 
hypocritical. They were numbered with the dis- 
ciples, but were destitute of true faith, and stand 
on the sacred page as an awful warning to profes- 
sors in all future ages to beware of hypocrisy, and 
to take heed of trifling with the sacred profession 
of Christianity. 

Concerning the conversion of Stephen, the Scrip- 
tures furnish no account ; whether he was one of 
the seventy disciples, or of the one hundred and 
twenty who consorted together before the remark- 
able increase of the church at Pentecost; or whether 
he was one of those who, on that memorable day, 
was pricked in the heart, and brought to repent- 
ance by the effusion of the Holy Spirit, attending 
the preaching of Peter, we cannot now ascertain; 
nor is it important. It is enough to know from the 
unerring word of inspiration that he was an emi- 
nent Christian ; although that name was not yet 
given to the disciples. When it became necessary 
to select seven men of honest report, full of the 
Holy Ghost and wisdom, to take charge of the dis- 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 545 

tribution of the charitable funds of the primitive 
church, Stephen was the first on the catalogue; 
and was particularly characterized as a man "full of 
faith and the Holy Ghost." He seems to have been, 
in a very peculiar manner, endowed with miraculous 
gifts which had been so copiously shed on the dis- 
ciples on the day of Pentecost ; and to have stood 
forth as a conspicuous instrument in extending the 
knowledge of the truth ; for we read, that " Stephen, 
full of faith and power, did great wonders and mira- 
cles among the people." But it was then, as it has 
been ever since, the more useful and conspicuous 
any servant of God is, the more certainly does he 
become the object of some kind of persecution. 
The infant church at Jerusalem was a type of all 
Christian churches ever since. No sooner did she 
exist, than her destruction was threatened. And 
whence did this opposition arise ? First, from the 
rulers, who imprisoned and beat the apostles, and 
forbade them to speak in the name of Jesus ; and 
then from the synagogues, which ought to have 
been the first to receive, and foremost to defend the 
truth. And as Stephen was a leading man in the 
church, these opposers entered into controversy 
with him. As long as error and sin exist in the 
world, there must be conflict. Light and darkness 
— Christ and Belial, can have no concord. But 
" they were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit 
by which he spake." They resorted to the usual 
weapons of the enemies of the truth. They endea- 
voured to destroy his usefulness by malicious slan- 
ders ; yea, they suborned men, who said, " We have 
heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses 

69 



546 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

and against God. And they stirred up the people, 
and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, 
and caught him, and brought him to the council, 
and set up false witnesses, who said, This man 
ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against 
this holy place and the law. For we have heard 
him say, that Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this 
place, and shall change the customs which Moses 
delivered unto us." 

Stephen was now arraigned before the Sanhe- 
drim, the highest court in the Jewish nation. 
He seems to have stood alone in the midst of his 
persecutors ; but that Jesus whom he preached, and 
who had said, before his ascension to heaven, " Lo, 
I am with you always," did not forsake him at this 
moment of trial. The Holy Ghost, with whose 
influence he was endowed, did not now leave him. 
And to confound his adversaries the more, and to 
render their conduct the more inexcusable, Stephen 
was so illumined with the rays of celestial glory, 
that his very countenance became radiant, as did 
that of Moses, on another occasion. " And all that 
sat in the council looking steadfastly on him, saw 
his face as it had been the face of an angel." 

The high priest, who presided in this grand 
council, now said, Are these things so? Upon 
which Stephen delivered that remarkable discourse, 
the substance of which is recorded in this chapter. 
When he came to the application of his discourse 
he addressed his persecutors with a directness and 
pungency of reproof, which produced a powerful 
impression. He said, " Ye stiff-necked and uncir- 
cumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 547 

Holy Ghost as your fathers did, so do ye. Which 
of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? 
And they have slain them which showed before 
of the coming of the just One, of whom ye have 
been now the betrayers and murderers ; who have 
received the law by disposition of angels and have 
not kept it." " When they heard these things, 
they gnashed on him with their teeth ; but he being 
full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into 
heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus Christ 
standing at the right hand of God. And he said, 
Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of 
man standing at the right hand of God. Then 
they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their 
ears, and ran upon him with one accord ; and 
cast him out of the city, and stoned him. And the 
witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's 
feet, whose name w T as Saul. And they stoned 
Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, 
receive my spirit ! And he kneeled down, and 
cried with a loud voice, Lay not this sin to their 
charge." 

This prayer, which closed the martyr's course, may 
have been heard in regard to many ; but in regard 
to one, it certainly was. I refer to the young man 
at whose feet the witnesses laid their clothes. This 
young man, a person of extraordinary talent, was a 
strict Pharisee, well educated, and zealous for the 
law. He seems to have taken an active part in this 
prosecution, for he gave his vote against Stephen 
in the council, when he was condemned, and was 
forward to assist in the execution. But is it not 
astonishing that this scene could be witnessed by 



548 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

this person, and others, without conviction ? The 
truth is, that such is the blindness and perverseness 
of men, that no external means, however striking, 
or even miraculous, ever did or ever will convert 
a sinner from the error of his ways, without the 
internal efficacy of divine grace. 

But our present subject is especially Stephen's 
dying prayer to Christ, " Lord Jesus, receive 
my spirit." These few words convey much pre- 
cious instruction, to which I would now call your 
attention. 

1. Stephen addressed his prayer to the Lord 
Jesus. He had just been favoured with a vision of 
this divine Person in his glory. He saw him 
standing on the right hand of God. He would never 
have thought of addressing himself to any of the 
saints or angels, who also stood round the throne 
of God. What should we think, if he had died 
calling on Gabriel or Moses, and saying, Gabriel, 
receive my spirit — or, Moses, receive my spirit? 
No example of any such prayer is found in the 
Bible. But here, " a man full of faith and the 
Holy Ghost," in his dying moments prays to Jesus 
Christ, and this is recorded for our example and 
encouragement. And if we may call upon this 
name when dying, we may also at all times. In- 
deed, this is given as one characteristic of true wor- 
shippers, for the Scripture saith, " Whosoever 
believeth on him shall not be ashamed — for the 
same Lord is rich unto all that call upon him. 
For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, 
shall be saved." 

2. The second truth which we may learn from 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 549 

this text is, that the soul exists separate from the 
body in an intermediate state between death and 
the resurrection ; and that in this state it is with 
Jesus. When we look at the dead body of a fellow- 
creature, and attend merely to the suggestions of 
sense and reason, we are tempted to suppose that 
the thinking principle which recently actuated 
this body, has become extinct, or has ceased to be 
active ; but sense and reason are not to be trusted 
in this case. Divine revelation, which is the word 
of God, teaches no such gloomy doctrine. It opens 
to our view another state of being — another world, 
where Christ is gone, and gives us assurance that 
believers, while their bodies rest in the grave, are 
with Christ. So our Lord, when on the cross, said 
to the penitent malefactor, " This day shalt thou be 
with me in Paradise." And Paul, who had been 
caught up into the third heaven, had such a sense 
of the excellency and glory of the place, that he 
" had a desire to depart and be with Christ." He 
knew " that if our earthly house of this tabernacle 
w r ere dissolved, we have a building of God, an 
house not made with hands, eternal in the hea- 
vens;" and that to be " absent from the body" is 
to be " present with the Lord." And are not Moses 
and Elias in the heavens? The latter, indeed, has 
his body with him ; but the former died and was 
buried. 

Stephen undoubtedly asked and expected to be 
received at once into the presence of Christ. He 
does not say, Receive me at the resurrection. " Lord 
Jesus, receive my spirit." The idea of the sleep 
of the soul, or of some other place than heaven being 



550 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

its residence till the resurrection, is unscriptural. 
Surely Christ has ascended into the highest hea- 
vens — and where he is, there also it is his will that 
his disciples should be with him. He has gone to 
prepare a place for them — and when he comes, he 
will bring with him all who have died in the 
Lord. Is he the Head, and are they members of 
his body, and will he not gather all those who are 
united to him around him, as fast as they leave 
the world? 

3. Every believer, when called to die, should 
consider it his high privilege, cheerfully and con- 
fidently, to commit his departing spirit into the 
hands of Jesus, his Lord. He who acts the part of 
a kind Shepherd, while we are passing up through 
this wilderness, guiding, protecting, and feeding 
his little flock, and even carrying the lambs affec- 
tionately in his bosom, will not forsake the sheep 
of his pasture, whom he loves, and for whom he has 
laid down his life, when called to pass through the 
last gloomy valley. There are many shadows of 
death through which he leads them safely, but in 
their passage over one which is pre-eminently deep 
and dark, he has enabled one of old, as an example 
to the flock, to say, " Though I walk through the 
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, 
for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they 
comfort me." 

Death is abhorrent to nature ; and many are, 
all their life, subjected to bondage through fear of 
death ; but Christ came to deliver us from those 
appalling terrors ; and he does it by enabling us to 
exercise faith in his name. The soul that so 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 551 

believes in the day of adversity, and in the last 
hour, as to be able to commit itself unto Christ by 
an act of unwavering confidence — that soul need 
fear no evil. If the great High Priest, and the ark 
of the covenant lead the way, the swelling waters 
of Jordan shall be driven back, and a free passage 
to Canaan be secured. Death has no power to 
harm the true believer, since Christ, the Captain 
of salvation, received his envenomed shaft into 
his own vitals. He has extracted the venomous 
sting, and trode the monster under his feet; so 
that he makes his people conquerors, and more 
than conquerors, through his love. " O death, 
where is thy sting ! O grave, where is thy 
victory !" 

4. No doubt the martyr's prayer was heard. No 
doubt the every where present Redeemer would 
willingly receive the precious deposit, now with 
confidence committed to him. None that trust in 
him shall ever be confounded or disappointed in 
their hopes. There is some reason to think that 
every believer when he dies will be conducted to 
Paradise by angels commissioned for that purpose. 
In the account of the rich man and Lazarus, we 
read that no sooner had the soul of this pious beg- 
gar departed from the body, than it " was carried 
by angels into Abraham's bosom." Now this repre- 
sentation of the state after death, does not seem so 
much to have been intended to teach what happened 
to a single individual, as to furnish us with a gene- 
ral view of the different circumstances of the right- 
eous and wicked, when they enter into the invisible 



552 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

world. And, therefore, we may conclude that all 
true saints, as well as Lazarus, will be provided 
with a convoy of angels. And would it be consider- 
ed an extravagant thought, that those angels which 
act as guardians to the people of God here, keeping 
watch around their dwellings, and holding them up 
in their hands, should be the ones commissioned to 
perform this kind office ; for no doubt they contract 
an affection for those committed to their charge, 
and would be prompted to engage in such a service 
in behalf of those souls whom they watched over, 
during their painful pilgrimage through the world. 
And for aught that we know, the departed saints 
will need some persons to be their guide in the 
new regions into which they at once enter, and 
where they are entire strangers. 

But, however, pleasing may be the thought of 
being met at the very entrance into the future 
world by angels, the true believer finds no prospect 
of the future state so pleasing, as that which pro- 
mises to bring him into the presence of his Saviour. 
That which reconciles him in an absence from the 
body is, the expectation of the presence of the 
Lord. And as he is not only ever present to ren- 
der effectual aid in time of need, and has especially 
signified that he will comfort and sustain his 
friends in their last conflict, the disembodied spirit 
desires to be received into his kind embrace. And 
as he has a body, and therefore is visible in heaven, 
it will above all things pant for an admission into 
his immediate presence. For this, Stephen prayed, 
and for this thousands have since prayed ; and their 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 553 

suit has not been denied. How happy they are 
who are thus present with the Lord, no human 
heart can conceive, or tongue express. Truly, their 
joy is now full. 



REFLECTIONS. 

1. As we must take this journey — as there is no 
discharge in this warfare — and as we have no expe- 
rimental knowledge of the country to which we are 
going, and have no opportunity of conversing with 
any who have experience in this matter, it is obvi- 
ously of the first importance to secure a guide 
who will both have power to protect and wisdom 
to conduct us safely through this gloomy valley 
Such a guide is the great Shepherd of Israel. 

2. Our sensitive souls naturally shrink with 
dread from the thought of plunging into an un- 
known state of existence. If we feel no dread of 
the misery of hell, yet we cannot easily divest our- 
selves of the fear of appearing in the immediate 
presence of God ; and even the idea of the sudden 
blaze of celestial light and glory, creates a degree 
of dread entering the invisible world. As the 
appearance of a single departed spirit, however 
much beloved, would throw us into consternation, 
we are prone to transfer these feelings to a future 
world. But the true remedy for every kind of fear 
is to cast ourselves into the hands of our divine 
Redeemer. He has loved us, and died for us, and 

70 



554 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

will receive our departing spirit, and introduce 
them to the seats of the blessed in that way which 
wisdom and goodness will direct. 

3. But what shall the dying sinner do? "Who 
will receive his spirit in that awful moment ? He 
rejected the Saviour, and now the door of mercy is 
closed for ever. Now he may cry and not be 
heard. Alas ! alas ! alas ! what will become of the 
impenitent sinner when God requires his soul ? 



SERMON XXXVII. 



Christ's gracious invitation. 



Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give 
you rest. — Matt. xi. 28. 



As a stream of living water to a traveller perishing 
with thirst, as a skilful physician to one sick with 
a dangerous disease, as a reprieve to a condemned 
criminal, such is the voice of mercy to the miser- 
able, self-condemned sinner — such, in ten thousand 
instances, have been these blessed words to heavy- 
laden, weary souls. These are words which can 
never lose their interest by age or repetition. As 
food is equally relished by the hungry appetite after 
having been eaten a thousand times as at first, so 
the precious promises of God bring the same re- 
freshment to the soul, however often they may 
have been received by faith. The Christian does 
not desire novelties ; all he wants is a heart to 
embrace and relish the same truths which have 
stood on the sacred page from the beginning. 
There is no penury in the divine word. All ful- 
ness and riches are included in this treasure, if we 

555 



556 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

are only in possession of the key of faith to unlock 
the ark in which it is contained. One great excel- 
lence of the sacred Scriptures is, that they never 
lose their power and sweetness. After the lapse 
of ages, God's promises to believers are as firm and 
consolatory as when first made ; and Christ's invi- 
tations to sinners are as full and as free to those who 
now hear the gospel, as when first uttered. 

If Christ, while upon earth, had spoken no more 
than these few words, they ought to be esteemed 
infinitely more precious than all the golden say- 
ings of all the heathen sages. Let us, then, be 
truly thankful for such a gracious invitation, pro- 
ceeding from the lips of him who always spake as 
never man spake ; and let us lift up our hearts to 
the Father of lights, to open our eyes and pre- 
pare our hearts to understand and appreciate the 
grace which is exhibited m these divine words of 
our Redeemer. 

But who are the persons here addressed by the 
Saviour? What class of persons are designated 
by the " labouring and heavy-laden ?" As the 
gospel is directed to be preached to " every crea- 
ture," and as this call contains the essence of the 
gospel, there is no reason why we should not con- 
sider all who hear the invitation, as included ; espe- 
cially as our Lord complains of the conduct of the 
most proud and unbelieving of his hearers for 
refusing to come to him ; " Ye will not come unto 
me, that ye may have life." All men are miserable ; 
all men are " by nature children of wrath ;" all men 
are labouring in the vain pursuit of earthly hap- 
piness; all, therefore, may consider themselves 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 557 

invited. None need feel themselves excluded from 
Christ's invitation. And the giving this univer- 
sal latitude to the call, harmonizes with parallel 
passages of Scripture, especially with that remark- 
able invitation in Isaiah lv. 1 — 3. " Ho, every one 
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that 
hath no money : come ye, buy and eat ; yea, come, 
buy wine and milk without money, and without 
price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that 
which is not bread, and your labour for that which 
satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and 
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight 
itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto me ; 
hear, and your soul shall live." And the gracious 
invitation of the Spirit, in Rev. xxii. 17, is equally 
free and universal : " And the Spirit and the bride 
say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. 
And let him that is athirst come ; and whosoever 
will, let him take the water of life freely." And 
the same extent ought to be given to Christ's public 
invitation at Jerusalem, on the last day of the feast 
of tabernacles ; " In the last day, that great day of 
the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man 
thirst, let him come unto me and drink." John 
vii. 37. 

But while we think that this kind invitation 
ought not to be restricted, we readily admit that it 
is more applicable to some of our race than others. 
The poor, the oppressed, the diseased, the perse- 
cuted, the halt, the blind, the friendless among 
men, may have been more particularly in the eye 
of the blessed Redeemer; for it was given as one 
characteristic of his being the Messiah that was to 



558 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

come, that " the blind receive their sight, and the 
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf 
hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the 
gospel preached to them." Matt. xi. 5. 

But there is another class to whom the Saviour's 
address may be considered as still more appropri- 
ate ; I mean convinced sinners labouring under a 
sense of guilt, and almost sinking under a burden 
too grievous to be borne. Surely Christ had 
respect to these, for he came not " to call the right- 
eous, but sinners to repentance ;" " to seek and 
save the lost;" to heal those that are sick, namely, 
such as are sensible of their mortal maladies. And 
even they who are groaning under the burden of 
a blind mind and hard heart, and think that they 
have no conviction ; even these, who are so prone 
to exclude themselves, are of the number invited. 
Yes, Christ speaks to you — he speaks to you more 
particularly than unto others. Do not, therefore, 
put away from you the gracious call, as if it were 
intended only for others ; do not any longer ingeni- 
ously argue against your own souls ; do not by un- 
belief shut the door of mercy, which the Redeemer 
has graciously opened. 

Neither should penitent believers, who are bur- 
dened with a deep sense of their own defilements, 
and continual imperfections, be omitted when the 
several classes of heavy-laden sinners are desig- 
nated. The great Shepherd of the sheep has 
always especial regard to the tender and weak of 
his own flock. " He carries the lambs in his 
bosom, and gently leads those that are with young." 
The kind condescension of the Son of God to the 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 559 

humble penitent is, in many parts of Scripture, set 
forth in remarkable words. He was described in 
prophecy, as one who would " comfort all that 
mourn;" and who would give unto them "who 
mourn in Zion, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for 
mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit 
of heaviness." " Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is 
my throne, and the earth is my footstool ; but to 
this man will I look, even to him that is poor and 
of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." 
" The bruised reed will he not break, nor quench 
the smoking flax." Let those, then, who are walk- 
ing in darkness, and troubled in spirit — let all 
those who are harassed and cast down with mani- 
fold temptations and sore inward conflicts, which 
cause them to express their feelings in groanings 
which cannot be uttered in words, attend to the 
gentle accents of mercy which proceed from the 
lips of Jesus. Unworthy and wretched as you feel 
yourselves to be, he passes you not by. He ad- 
dresses you, not in the language of reproach or con- 
demnation, but in that of tender affection. Yes, 
he calls you also to come unto him. 

II. Having considered the objects of the invita- 
tion, let us now contemplate the character of Him 
from whom it proceeds. 

Though we need to know more than the name 
of this divine Person, yet even this is " as oint- 
ment poured forth." His name is Emanuel, " God 
with us." Said the angel to Joseph, " Thou 
shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his 
people from their sins." When our Lord put it to 
his disciples to say who he was, Peter, in the name 



560 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

of his brethren, answered, " Thou art the Christ, 
the Son of the living God." And because he was 
born of a woman, and made flesh, he often speaks 
of himself as " the Son of man." The prophet 
Isaiah, when he speaks of the child that should be 
born, and of the Son that should be given, adds, 
"And his name shall be called Wonderful, Coun- 
sellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, (or 
rather, the Father of Eternity,) the Prince of 
Peace." And in the sublime vision which John 
had of the white horse, " he that sat upon him was 
called Faithful and True. His eyes were as a flame 
of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he 
had a name written that no man knew but he him- 
self. He was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, 
and his name is called the Word of God." He is 
also styled " King of kings, and Lord of lords." 
And as his names indicate the dignity of his person, 
so they do the benign offices which he executes. 
He is the Redeemer — the Saviour — the one Media- 
tor — the great High Priest — the Advocate — the 
great Shepherd of the sheep — the Judge of quick 
and dead. Immediately before he uttered the 
gracious invitation which we are considering, he 
had declared his divine knowledge and power: 
"All things are delivered to me of my Father ; and 
no man knoweth the Son but the Father ; neither 
knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he 
to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." None 
but he who was God with God, in the beginning, 
could utter these words without the highest blas- 
phemy. But he who was in the "form of God, 
thought it not robbery to be equal with God." And 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 561 

if our Redeemer was not omnipotent, his people 
"could not trust in him ; if he was not omniscient, it 
would be vain to call upon him. In Christ there 
is the most wonderful union of majesty and conde- 
scension ; of heavenly glory and human sympathy 
and tenderness. While he claims to be " God over 
all," he is not ashamed to call us brethren. He 
took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed 
of Abraham. And the reason why we may come 
boldly to the throne of grace is, because " we have 
not an high priest which cannot be touched with the 
feeling of our infirmities." And the reason which 
he assigns here, to induce us to come to him without 
hesitation, is, that he is " meek and lowly in heart." 

III. How must we come? Not by a bodily 
approach, for this is impossible. Where Christ 
now is we cannot come : and a local approach, if it 
were practicable, would be useless. Many came 
near to the Saviour, when he sojourned on earth, 
who never derived any benefit from him. His 
worst enemies and murderers came in contact with 
him, when they seized, bound, buffeted, scourged, 
and crucified the Lord ; and the traitor Judas lived 
in his family, and travelled in his company for 
years, and kissed him in Gethsemane ; but this will 
only serve to render his doom the more intolerable. 
It had been better for that man never to have seen 
Jesus — yea, never to have been born. 

Coming to Christ is undoubtedly an act of the 
rational soul, irrespective of the body. It is a 
spiritual approach, in which the Saviour is appre- 
hended by the enlightened mind in his true charac- 
ter. It is a full persuasion that he is indeed the 

71 



562 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

Son of God, and Saviour of the lost. It is the act 
of a convinced, distressed soul, flying from the 
coming wrath, to take shelter under the outstretched 
wings of his mercy. It is an exercise of humble 
confidence in the Redeemer of sinners, that he will 
deliver it from all the evils which are felt or feared. 
There is nothing difficult in this act to the soul 
under the influence of the Holy Spirit; nor does 
it require a long time. It is executed as quick as 
thought. It is nothing else but the soul's cordial 
consent to receive Christ as a complete and only 
Saviour. The weary and heavy-laden sinner, when 
almost overwhelmed with the burden of his guilt, 
having sought relief from other quarters, at length 
hears the kind invitation of Jesus, " Come unto 
me ;" and being enabled to give full credit to the 
truth and sincerity of the call, and to see the excel- 
lence and suitableness of Christ as a divine Saviour; 
and being persuaded, that every blessing needed to 
secure eternal salvation, is treasured up in him, 
receives him, as he is freely offered in the gospel, 
and willingly commits all its immortal interests 
into his hands; and resolves to submit to him 
and obey him, in all time to come. In all this, 
the soul, though operated on by an Almighty 
power, is conscious of no restraint, unless it be 
the sweet constraint of the love of Christ. There 
is, indeed, an irresistible drawing towards Christ, 
but the more powerful it is, the more freely does 
the soul seem to act. Under the sweet influence 
of grace, the affections spontaneously go forth to 
him, who now appears altogether lovely; and the 
weary soul experiences a sweet rest by casting all 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 563 

its burdens on the Lord. The principal act of faith 
is an act of trust. " Blessed are all they that trust 
in him." And having once tasted this blessedness 
of confiding in Christ, we never think of seeking 
any other refuge. The believer is not only per- 
suaded that he is the way, but the only way. On 
this account he is prized above all price. " To 
you who believe, he is precious." Well may the 
name of Jesus sound sweet to the believer's ear, 
because there is " no other name under heaven by 
which we must be saved." No wonder that he 
values above rubies, or kingdoms, that elect and 
precious corner-stone — though rejected by the 
proud and self-righteous — which God has laid in 
Zion, because he is sure that it is a safe foundation 
on which to build for eternity; and because he is 
persuaded "that other foundation can no man lay 
than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus." 

Coming to Christ is not an act to be performed 
only once, but is to be continually repeated. Every 
day we need his aid ; and every hour we should 
have recourse to him by some confiding or grateful 
act. This access once obtained, the intercourse 
should be continually kept open. He allows his 
disciples the privilege of friends, to come as often 
as they will ; and he invites them to come with 
freedom and confidence to his throne of grace, " to 
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of 
need." So intimate and endearing is the inter- 
course between Christ and believers, that there is 
a mutual indwelling ; Christ in them, the hope of 
glory — and they in Christ as members of his body, 
or as branches engrafted into him, the true vine. 



564 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

But, perhaps, the anxious inquirer still asks, 
" How must I come ?" To which I answer — come 
poor and naked, and helpless, and unworthy — come 
renouncing all dependence on your own righteous- 
ness. If you attempt to come with a price in 
your hand, you will be rejected. Christ must be 
acknowledged and received as our only Saviour. 
He will have nothing to do with those who place 
any confidence in their own works, or in their 
religious privileges. He will not save you on 
account of your natural amiableness ; or on account 
of your moral honesty, or diligent attention to 
external duties. You cannot in these respects go 
beyond the rich young ruler in the gospel, and yet 
he " lacked one thing,' ' and that was the main 
thing. In the punctilious observance of external 
duties and rites, you cannot exceed the Scribes and 
Pharisees, and yet your righteousness must exceed 
theirs, or you can never enter the kingdom of 
heaven. You must come to Christ for wisdom, 
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. As 
long as sinners think that they are "rich and 
increased with goods, and have need of nothing,' ' 
they will not come to Christ; but when they are 
convinced that they are " poor, and wretched, and 
blind and naked," they will be inclined to hear his 
counsel, and come unto him, " to buy gold tried in 
the fire that they may be rich, eye salve that they 
may see, and white raiment that they may be 
clothed, and that the shame of their nakedness 
appear not." In short, delay not, that you may 
make yourselves better, or prepare your hearts for 
the reception of Christ, but come at once — come as 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 565 

you are. If you are sick, apply at once to the 
Physician. If you are denied, come to the foun- 
tain opened for sin and uncleanness. If you are 
burdened with guilt, come to a crucified Saviour, 
whose blood cleanses from all sin. If you are 
miserable, Christ promises you rest if you will 
come to him. Are you kept back by a deep sense 
of un worthiness? this is the very reason why you 
should come. Christ came to save sinners. The 
deeper your guilt, the greater your need of just 
such a Saviour. He saves none because their sins 
are small ; he will reject none because their sins 
are great. § He is as willing to receive the penitent 
who is the chief of sinners, as the amiable youth 
whose life has been stained with no acts of gross 
transgression. Where sin has abounded, grace 
shall much more abound. " This is a faithful say- 
ing, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ 
came into the world to save sinners, of whom," 
says Paul, " I am chief." Come, then, with confi- 
dence, trusting in that great assurance, " Him that 
cometh, I will in no wise cast out." 

But as your case is urgent and dangerous, let me 
intreat you to come speedily. Make no delay. 
In such a case, delays are dangerous. Now is the 
accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. Enter 
while the door of mercy is open. Work out your 
salvation while it is day, before the night cometh 
when no work can be done. And the work which 
you are required to perform, is to believe on him 
whom God hath sent. You have no need to leave 
your seat to perform this act. " Believe in the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Help 



566 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

is near. The Deliverer is present. Application to 
him is as easy now as it ever can be. Take words 
and return unto him. Fall down before him with 
confession and humble supplication ; " for he that 
calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved." 
Venture on him, for you are perishing where you 
are, and you will but perish if he should slay you. 
But if you are rejected and spurned from his feet, 
you will be the first that has thus perished; for 
God cannot lie, and he hath promised to receive 
the soul that comes. 

IV. What will be gained by coming to Christ ? 
One thing only is promised. " Come unto me, all 
ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give 
you rest." But in this one thing, every thing good 
is included. They only can be said to be at rest, 
who are in a state of happiness ; and true happiness 
can only be found in the favour and love of God. 
Can that man be said to be at rest, whose sins are 
unpardoned, whose passions are unsubdued, and 
on whom the wrath of God abides? " There is no 
peace, saith my God, to the wicked." " The 
wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot 
rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." Wicked 
men are like the evil spirit which went through 
dry places, seeking rest and finding none. They 
are in constant pursuit of a phantom, which for 
ever eludes their grasp. There is in this world no 
foundation of solid rest. To be preserved from 
perpetual agitation, our anchor must be cast within 
the veil. Noah's dove, which found no rest even 
for the sole of her foot, is an emblem of the restless 
condition of men. But the same dove, returning 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 567 

to the ark, is an emblem of the distressed soul fly- 
ing to Christ from the deluge of deserved and 
coming wrath. And, O how kind is that hand 
which is stretched out of the ark, to take in the 
fluttering weary soul ! Then, indeed, rest is en- 
joyed. " I will give you rest," says the gracious 
Redeemer. And when he gives this precious 
blessing, it is found in experience to be a solid, 
undisturbed, sweet, and permanent rest. It is in no 
respect different from that peace which Christ so 
often and so emphatically promised : " Peace I leave 
with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the 
world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart 
be troubled, neither let it be afraid." It is the 
declared will of the blessed Jesus, that the joy of 
his people should be full; therefore he says to his 
disciples, " Your sorrow shall be turned into joy" 
— " your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man 
taketh from you." Delightful, indeed, is that peace 
which Jesus not only speaks, but breathes into the 
soul, and sweet is that rest which the weary soul 
experiences, when it takes refuge under the out- 
stretched wings of his mercy, from the gathering 
storms of wrath. In that auspicious moment, the 
troubled spirit not only rests from fear and remorse, 
but also from its own fruitless struggles of self-exer- 
tion. It rests from the unprofitable works of self- 
righteousness, and finds complete repose in the 
perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. A believing 
view of the cross causes the heavy burden of guilt 
to fall off; and, although the coming soul bows to 
the yoke of Christ, and takes up his burden, yet 
love makes " his yoke easy," and his " burden 
light." How sweet is the calm which the first 



568 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

lively exercise of faith in Christ produces ! The 
cheerful light of day is not so pleasant to the eyes 
of one long immured in a dark dungeon, as the 
light of his Father's reconciled face to a prodigal 
just returned from his wanderings. It is, indeed, 
"a marvellous light" which the gospel beams on 
the renewed soul. It is justly a day of feasting 
and rejoicing, when one that was lost is found, and 
when he that was dead is alive again. How affec- 
tionately and confidentially does the believing soul 
repose on the bosom of Jesus ! and when his love 
is shed abroad in the heart, how intimate, how 
precious is the communion which it enjoys ! Here, 
truly, it has found rest. But while in the body, 
these bright views and pleasing prospects are often 
obscured. "While the Bridegroom is present, the 
bride rejoices, but when he is absent, she mourns, 
and often inquires, " saw ye him, whom my soul 
loveth ?" If we lose sight of the objects of faith ; 
and, especially if sin be indulged, and the Spirit 
grieved, darkness and sorrow will again visit the 
soul ; and rest can only be found by coming again 
to Jesus, from whom it was first received ; and as 
often as we come to him, we find his promise veri- 
fied ; rest is obtained. 

But whatever is experienced here — whatever 
seasons of calm repose may be enjoyed — whatever 
moments of extatic joy — } r ea, " unspeakable and full 
of glory," may transport us, these are but drops from 
the fountain above — a mere foretaste of the river of 
pleasure which flows from the throne of God. Here 
our pilgrimage is through a wilderness. But soon 
all our sorrow shall cease, and we shall enter into 
that rest which remains for the people of God. 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 569 

The last conflict of the believing soul is in death ; 
for this is the last enemy. The last darkness which 
will ever be experienced, is that of " the valley and 
shadow of death." The last bitterness which will 
ever be tasted is the " bitterness of death." The 
last waves of sorrow which shall ever roll over such 
a soul, are the swellings of Jordan. The last fiery 
dart which the enemy shall ever be permitted to 
aim at the friend of Christ, will here be cast. 
Yea, better than all, the last consciousness of in- 
dwelling sin is experienced in this hour. Pain 
will no more be known but in the joyful conscious- 
ness that it is gone for ever. Admitting then that 
this is a dark passage — an appalling scene — an un- 
natural separation — a painful agony — a direful con- 
flict; yet even here, the Shepherd of Israel can 
give us rest. Even here, the Captain of salvation 
can make us " conquerors, and more than con- 
querors." In the midst of the darkness of death, a 
celestial beam often shines to guide and cheer the 
heavy-laden traveller. Even the sting of death 
may be absent ; and all fear and all doubt removed. 
Rest may be — has been, enjoyed on a dying-bed. 
The pious dead sweetly rest in the bosom of Jesus. 
How calm — how serene — how confident — hew ab- 
stracted from earth — how heavenly they sometimes 
appear, before they forsake their clay tabernacle : 
knowing that they have a house not made with 
hands eternal in the heavens. 

u Jesus can make a dying-bed 
Feel soft as downy pillows are, 
While on his breast I lean my head, 
And breathe my life out sweetly there." 

72 



570 PRACTICAL SERMONS. 

But we should not make too much of the com 
forts of a dying hour. Some of God's dear children 
pass through this gloomy way, with scarce a 
twinkling ray to animate or guide them; yea, some 
who in life enjoyed pleasing prospects of future 
bliss, have had their day turned into night, and the 
death-scene to them has indeed been a tremendous 
conflict. The powers of darkness have been let 
loose to assault them; the sweet light of divine 
favour has been withdrawn, and added to this, the 
confusion of physical derangement has contributed 
to spread over the pious mind a dense cloud, even 
in the departing hour. But still, Christ is in the 
cloud; Christ has not forgotten his promise — "I 
will never leave thee, never, never, never, forsake 
thee." He will shield his own from real evil; and 
will speedily grant a rich recompense for every 
pang. He especially knows how to sympathize 
with those dying in agony and under darkness. It 
was his own sore experience. O how bitter was 
that cry above all others : " My God, my God, why 
hast thou forsaken me?" And in proportion as 
the agony is severe, will be his promptitude to 
grant deliverance. It may be, that desertion at 
such a time is permitted, that the soul may know 
something of the intensity of the suffering of the 
dear Redeemer at that moment. But it is soon 
over. The passage, though dark, is short, and the 
transition is glorious. The sweetness of the pro- 
mised rest, when first enjoyed, will bear some pro- 
portion to the bitterness of the death just escaped. 
At any rate, Heaven will be as truly a rest to such 
as die under a cloud, as those who experienced an 



PRACTICAL SERMONS. 571 

anticipation of heaven on their death-bed. We 
need make no distinction ; rest is promised to all, 
and the joy of all shall be full. If some experience 
a delight superior to that of other believers, it will 
be because they are capable of taking in more of 
the bliss and glory of that boundless ocean in which 
all swim. There indeed is rest — rest from labour 
— rest from trouble — rest from persecution — rest 
from sickness — rest from conflict and temptation — 
rest from doubt and fear — rest from sin — in short, 
rest from every evil, and the enjoyment of every 
good, of which a purified, glorified, immortal soul 
is capable. 

This, then, is the motive to induce you to come 
to Christ, for all this, and much more is included, 
when he says, " Come unto me, all ye that labour 
and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." 



THE END. 



\ 



